Nairobi Today. The Paradox of a Fragmented City

by Helene Charton-Bigot (Editor), Deyssi Rodriguez-Torres

Despite being a large capital city in Africa in terms of size and its regional role, Nairobi is an unrecognised entity. For the majority of its inhabitants, the capital of Kenya is a transit point rather than a dwelling place. Since its origins, Nairobi has been a city of migrants, more predisposed to their rural roots than to their current city status. It is a non-conforming town, which conceals its urbanity more than it claims it, and whose identity remains evasive. Nairobi presents itself as a mosaic of residential areas which bring to mind the cityís history. The racial segregation that stratified the development of the colonial city has today disappeared, but it has given way to a form of social segregation. One must, therefore, not seek a unique identity in Nairobi, but rather, several identitiesóthose of different communities that comprise the city and whose dynamics are seen at village and residential estate level. However, Nairobi is also a city that is contradictory. This East African capital city is often associated with slums and crime, and their increase and growth stigmatises the failure of urban policies. Therefore, it is at these cracks and fringes of the city that we should seek out the identities and dynamics that have shaped the city for a century. Nairobi is a fragmented city that can be understood in steps. The 13 contributory articles in Nairobi Today thus reveal the city. This multidisciplinary collective work invites us to gain entry into certain areas of the city, to visit its communities and to familiarise ourselves with its formal and informal institutions. This is a requirement in order to fully understand what makes Nairobi what it is today.

404 pages, Paperback

First published October 24, 2010

Reviews

[Bob Allen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Collection of essays on Nairobi covering colonial times through 2005. Some articles tedious and too academic. Not sure that all authors are native English speakers. Some really odd choices of words (lumpen, valorisation). But, great read for understanding Nairobi and urbanisation in Kenyan context. Good insights into why things are the way they are. Land is key � the reason slums don't get infrastructure? Primarily because the govt doesn't want to encourage people to stay on public land or to encourage cartels. Good chapters on Indo-Kenyans, Matatu culture, political activism, Gray Nairobi is a good overview of estates, Pentecostalism chapter seemed to lump all evangelicals in the Pentecostal bucket (not flattering look). Though not a major component, there seemed to be an anti-Christian bias throughout the book. Perhaps a socialist or communist bias as well.