History and theory of urban poverty in Nairobi: the problem of slum development

Abstract

This paper attempts to explain the generation of poverty in\nNairobi. The first part is theoretical and considers the validity of\nthe assumption that urban development in Africa has been and will be\ncomparable to urban growth in the West. Parts two and three consist\nof an empirical study of the Nairobi slums during the colonial era.\nThe paper considers the reasons why people migrated to the city and\nwhat problems this caused in terms of housing, health and municipal\nresources. It also considers the response of the Colonial authorities\nto the influx, which was partly expressed in terms of segregated urban\nfacilities and the control of population movement. The failure of these\npolicies is demonstrated.\nThe paper concludes that the problem is still unsolved although\nthe administrative responses have changed. The basic problem is of an\nurban population growth rate too high in relation to available housing,\nand a level, of wages too low to finance sufficient housing or to meet\nhigh rents.

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