Nairobi's Informal Settlements Need Urgent Investment, Say City Officials and Community Leaders

As June rains batter Nairobi's informal settlements, city planners and community advocates are calling for urgent action—though their prescriptions for solving the capital's deepening housing crisis diverge sharply.

Residents across Kibera, Mathare, and Korogocho have endured weeks of waterlogging, with narrow pathways turning to mud and makeshift structures at risk of collapse. The Nairobi City County's official response, presented at a stakeholder forum on Kenyatta Avenue last week, centres on a phased relocation programme paired with improved drainage systems in high-risk zones.

However, grassroots organisations working in these neighbourhoods argue that relocation alone will not address the root causes. The Mathare Social Centre, which serves roughly 8,000 residents monthly through its health and literacy programmes, has documented that informal settlement dwellers face average monthly rents of 4,000 to 6,000 shillings for single-room structures, leaving little savings for emergencies or relocation costs.

"What we hear from officials is about moving people out," said one coordinator at a community-based organisation focused on housing rights in Kibera. "But where do they go? The same families often end up in equally vulnerable areas, paying more rent." Officials have not publicly responded to these specific critiques.

The National Construction Authority and the Ministry of Housing have announced plans to increase affordable housing units to 50,000 by 2028, with projects in Ruai and Riruta already under construction. Yet experts monitoring the sector note that current supply falls far short of demand—the city's informal settlements house an estimated 2 million residents, nearly 60 per cent of Nairobi's population.

At the Nairobi Metropolitan Services office in Upper Hill, engineers have outlined infrastructure improvements along the Ngong River valley, which borders Mathare and Korogocho, aiming to reduce flooding through better water management. Yet implementation timelines remain unclear, and community groups have requested regular progress updates—something officials say they will provide through quarterly meetings starting in August.

Beyond structural solutions, voices from faith-based organisations and youth centres across these neighbourhoods emphasise the need for livelihood support alongside housing improvements. A skills training initiative run through the Starehe Centre in Eastleigh has demonstrated modest success in helping informal settlement youth secure stable employment, yet funding remains inconsistent.

As the rainy season peaks, the conversation between Nairobi's officials and its most vulnerable residents continues—marked by shared concern but unresolved questions about pace, scale, and genuine participation in solutions.

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