The Kibera Slum: History and Social Issues

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Historical Background
Geographic Setting
Demographics
Availability of Basic Services
The Health Situation in Kibera
Gender Relations in Kibera
Conclusion
References

Introduction

The term “slum” is frequently used to refer to informal communities within cities characterized by insufficient housing and deplorable living conditions. They are often overcrowded, with many people living in highly constrained quarters. The fundamental municipal amenities such as water, sanitation, waste collection, storm drainage, street lighting, roads, and emergency access are not provided to these settlements. Most do not have convenient access to the community’s educational institutions, medical facilities, or public gathering areas. Slums are a common form of housing in many rapidly expanding metropolitan areas, such as Kibera in Nairobi, New Delhi, and Manila. The repercussions of poverty, which are linked to the expansion of slums, include a range of adverse outcomes, including poor health and inadequate educational opportunities.

Historical Background

The slum of Kibera, which is located in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, is considered “the largest and poorest slum in Africa” (Karanja, 2008, p. 1). As a gesture of gratitude following the conclusion of the First World War, the British government granted the Nubians permission to make their home in a forest on the outskirts of Nairobi. On the other hand, upon Kenya’s independence, the government asserted its ownership over this area. In the years that followed, Nubians continued to construct and expand urbanization in Kibera while extending a warm welcome to newcomers across the nation. Since the early 1970s, landlords have essentially rented out their property to more tenants than the law permits. Even though it is illegal, the number of people living in Kibera has expanded in proportion due to the fact that the residents of the slums believe the prices that are being charged to be relatively reasonable (Swart, 2017). These days, Kibera is near the city’s industrial district and encircled by some of the wealthiest neighborhoods in Nairobi. Rural Kenyans are drawn to these two places because they offer prospects for employment.

Geographic Setting

Kibera is located around 140 kilometers south of the equator, at a latitude of 36 degrees 50 degrees east and a longitude of 1 degree 17 degrees south. It has an elevation of 1,670 meters above sea level (Soma et al., 2022). There is a connection between the extraordinary growth of the city of Nairobi and the emergence of Kibera as an informal settlement. Kibera is located in Nairobi. The Kibera slums are located five kilometers south of the central business district of Nairobi, the capital city of Kenya. It is home to more than one-quarter of the people living in Nairobi.

Kibera is located southwest of the central business district of Nairobi, and the Ngong River and a train line border it. The areas of Kibera each offer a unique set of living conditions for residents to contend with. Kibera is home to people of a diverse range of racial and ethnic origins, while members of a single group more heavily populate certain neighborhoods. Due to its multiethnic makeup and the tribal nature of Kenyan politics, the community of Kibera has, throughout its nearly 100-year history, been the scene of several minor ethnic clashes (Swart, 2017). Because a railway line traverses Kibera, travelers on their route to Kisumu have the opportunity to see the slum.

Demographics

People who reside in Kibera are subjected to dehumanizing and unrelenting poverty. However, despite the difficult conditions in which they live, many locals have a strong sense of communal identification, a sense of responsibility and caring for others, and persistence to survive. The government maintains that the people living in Kibera are squatting illegally on land the government holds. As a result, the government does not provide adequate services or infrastructure to the residents of Kibera (Odeny, 2020). Informal settlements have become more prevalent due to population growth and rural-to-urban movement spurred by displacement brought on by conflict, natural disasters, and climate change. These settlements remain geographically, economically, socially, and politically cut off from larger metropolitan structures and denied access to urban possibilities. In addition, numerous governments refuse to acknowledge the presence of unofficial habitations and settlements. Most often, informal settlements are located on the outskirts of cities or towns and do not have access to local markets or other essential resources due to their location.

Availability of Basic Services

Water accessibility is a significant issue in the slums, which suffer from widespread poverty and deplorable living conditions. The burden of the unpaid duty of fetching water falls disproportionately on the shoulders of impoverished women, who are also excluded from many chances to generate money from water. Inhabitants of the Kibera slum struggle with the issue of insufficient water supply, which makes it difficult for them to clean their homes, prepare their food, wash their utensils, do their laundry, and take baths.

Kibera is severely polluted due to human waste, debris, smoke, and dust accumulation. The lack of sanitation in the area and the population’s substandard diet are the root cause of many ailments and illnesses. The average home is roughly 8 feet by 10 feet, which means it can comfortably accommodate a family of any size, from two to eight people (Soma et al., 2022). More than half of the adult population does not have a reliable source of income, which contributes to instability and despair; hunger is widespread. There is a severe deficit of public services in Kibera, including uncontaminated water and sewage, as well as public schools and health facilities.

Most schools are independent, non-governmental institutions that rely on financial support from the public and private donors. These educational institutions do not qualify for financial assistance from the Kenyan government. More than 500,000 children of school age are not enrolled, accounting for roughly 40% of children (a disproportionate percentage are girls) (Karanja, 2008, p. 2). Young people who are not in school are infinitely more likely to use or abuse drugs and participate in criminal activity. Additionally, non-schooling young women are more likely to become pregnant at a younger age and perpetuate the cycle of poverty.

The Health Situation in Kibera

The Kenyan Ministry of Health (MOH) is the government agency in charge of the provision of medical services to the residents of Kibera. Located near the Kibera slums is Kenyatta National Hospital, which is the largest referral hospital in East and Central Africa. Other types of medical facilities may be found in the slum. These include health clinics, dispensaries, maternity homes, nursing homes, medical centers, labs and radiological services, and dentistry clinics. Non-governmental organizations and private persons own these institutions.

The government of Kenya, non-governmental organizations, and private companies have all undertaken efforts, together with residents of Kibera, to enhance the quality of the city’s healthcare system. If a facility can demonstrate that it satisfies the criteria established by the National Hospital Insurance Fund, then the Ministry of Health will grant it a license (NHIF) (Owiti et al., 2018). On the other hand, most private clinics operate unlawfully, resulting in malpractice and a diminished level of health.

A lack of access to adequate pit latrines and good levels of personal cleanliness among the residents brings on most of the diseases prevalent in the Kibera slums. Slums are characterized by high population densities and high levels of congestion, which contribute to the common transmission of infectious diseases from one person to another. Women are more likely to contract communicable diseases due to unsanitary living conditions, such as poor access to clean water and inadequate nutrition. Cholera, malaria, and diarrhea are the three infectious diseases most frequently in the Kibera slums. The spread of HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis, malnutrition, respiratory infections, cardiovascular diseases, neonatal diseases, and accidents are all factors that contribute to the increased need for healthcare services (Gulis et al., 2004).

Poverty, an unpleasant environment, social instability, and insecurity are all direct contributors to the development of health risks. People who make their homes in the shantytowns of Kibera are at a greater risk of contracting infectious diseases and suffering from hunger. Women of childbearing age and children are more vulnerable to the effects of this disease. The lack of proper sanitation, hygiene, and clean water are all factors that contribute to the prevalence of illness in slums (Karanja, 2008). They participate in disease transmission in ways that are both complementary and competitive with one another.

Gender Relations in Kibera

Discrimination based on gender as well as traditional gender roles in slum society. Women are expected to provide more care and financial support for their children than men. Girls are discouraged from continuing their education as a result of the expectations of society. Many young girls drop out of school to raise their children or get married when they are still very young. Girls who are not allowed to receive an education help perpetuate cycles of poverty. The increasing number of households that women are leading can be attributed to cultural norms and institutions that are biased against women (Omondi, 2012). Every child in Kenya has the right to a fundamental level of education, which the government of Kenya ensures they receive. Equal educational opportunities are a right that should be afforded to both girls and boys, and this proposal seeks to include provisions to address cultural, religious, and other forms of bias, particularly those directed toward girls.

Disparities between genders are seen as it is not possible for a girl living in the slums of Africa to get a washable sanitary towel since washing it would use up all of the water the family has available for the day. Furthermore, slum residents have a difficult time affording sanitary products such as tampons and disposable pads. Due to this, it is common practice for girls to skip school to be at home during their period.

Conclusion

Kibera needs assistance; however, despite the numerous ways individuals can lend a hand, the vast majority do not. This is despite the fact that the residents of Kenya’s most notorious slum suffer from insufficient food and water, rampant diseases, and few or no educational opportunities. The people of Kibera are primarily concerned with maintaining their lives. Because they do not have the means to establish a better life, they desperately need assistance from other sources. It is essential to raise awareness and dedicate resources toward helping such vulnerable populations.

References

Gulis, G., Mulumba, J. A. A., Juma, O., & Kakosova, B. (2004). Health status of people of slums in Nairobi, Kenya. Environmental Research 96(2), 219-227.

Karanja, J. M. (2008). Sanitation and hygiene in Kibera Slums, Nairobi: women´s concerns and nurses’ promotional tools.

Odeny, M. A. (2020). The relation between access to water poverty and patriarchy: The case of women slum dwellers in Kibera Kenya [Doctoral dissertation, University of Pretoria].

Omondi, C. P. (2012). Gender equality of women in poverty reduction: The local links project in Kibera Division, Nairobi, Kenya [Doctoral dissertation].

Owiti, A., Oyugi, J., & Essink, D. (2018). Utilization of Kenya’s free maternal health services among women living in Kibera slums: a cross-sectional study. Pan African Medical Journal, 30(1).

Soma, K., Cornelia Johanna Janssen, V., Ayuya, O. I., & Obwanga, B. (2022). Food systems in informal urban settlements—Exploring differences in livelihood welfare factors across Kibera, Nairobi. Sustainability, 14(17), p. 11099.

Swart, E. (2017). Women’s voices from the margin: Diaries from Kibera, Kenya. Canadian Scholars’ Press.

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