CSMP22/23 - Nairobi inequality case study

Question 1

What is the population of Nairobi?

Answer 1

• 48 million people

Question 2

What is the environmental quality in Nairobi like?

Answer 2

1. Sanitation: Approximately 95% of households in Kibera lack adequate sanitation facilities. The area lacks proper sewage disposal infrastructure, leading to open sewers that carry human and household waste into the Ngong River.
2. Housing: The majority of houses in Kibera are constructed using mud, timber, and corrugated iron sheets. Only a small percentage (around 1%) of houses are built with more durable materials like bricks or stones. Additionally, about 15% of houses do not have a proper floor and have bare earth.
3. Pollution: Due to poor ventilation and the use of charcoal, kerosene, and firewood for cooking, houses in Kibera experience high levels of indoor pollution, including carbon monoxide.
4. Clean water: Access to clean water in Kibera is limited, with only about 1 in 5 households having access to clean water sources. As a result, residents often have to rely on purchasing water, which can be expensive.

Question 3

What is the Economic (income and employment) in Nairobi like?

Answer 3

1. Education: The poor education system in Kibera contributes to a lack of skills among residents, making it difficult for them to break out of informal employment. Many Kiberans engage in small-scale businesses such as selling vegetables, fish, or offering services like shoe repair. However, these types of work are often unreliable and poorly paid.
2. Average Wage: The average daily wage in Kibera is reported to be around 45 shillings, which is equivalent to approximately 32 pence. This low wage level reflects the challenges faced by residents in earning a sustainable income.
3. Food Affordability: About 40% of Kiberans struggle to afford sufficient food on a daily basis. The combination of low wages, limited employment opportunities, and high living costs make it challenging for a significant portion of the population to meet their basic food needs.

Question 4

What is the social (crime, health, access to electricity, water, services) in Nairobi like?

Answer 4

Social - crime, health, access to electricity, water, services etc

• No government-run schools
• No government-run health centres
• Schools and Health centres that exist are run by NGOs and are poorly equipped.
• There is no electricity grid – any electricity is tapped from overhead power lines (22%)
• Roads are non-existent – tracks and alleys between tightly packed houses
• Poor housing, health and sanitation - Water borne diseases such as cholera, typhoid and dysentery are rife
• 20% of children die before the age of 5

Question 5

What is the Cultural (ethnicity, gender divides, age) in Nairobi like?

Answer 5

Cultural - ethnicity, gender divides, age

• Young people aged 10-24 years comprised about a third (30.6 per cent) of Nairobi urban slum residents in 2012
• Abject poverty, limited livelihood opportunities, and high levels of violence and crime that characterize urban slums pose major challenges to youth development and heighten their risk-taking
• 47 per cent of female adolescents aged 15-24 years in Nairobi’s slums had begun childbearing compared to 30.5 per cent among their counterparts in Nairobi

Question 6

What are the spatial inequalities in Nairobi?

Answer 6

• In the centre of Nairobi, you have the central business district. A very affluent area. This is the centre for administration; it includes Parliament buildings, the Kenyatta International Conference Centre, commerce and shopping.
• There are high-income residentials to the west of Nairobi. Wealthy European colonists, and latterly affluent Asians immigrants live on these higher altitudes.
• There are shanty settlements/slums to the south-west