The Sustainability of Participatory Slum Upgrading: a Case Study of the Kambi Moto Settlement Upgrading Programme in Huruma, Nairobi City County

Abstract

Addressing the challenge of inadequate housing in low-income urban populations requires upgrading the existing slums and stemming the growth of new slums, which can be enabled through the implementation of suitable policy and institutional frameworks that allow for active participation by all stakeholders in the planning and implementation of slum upgrading programs. Over the past two decades, there has been a shift toward participatory slum upgrading where residents are progressively involved in the decision-making process of slum upgrading as partners. While strategies dealing with slum upgrading are based on sustainability, community participation, empowerment, inclusion and capacity building, the impact of the participatory approach to slum upgrading has not been felt. Despite this widely touted potential, there has been a curious lack of upscaling of these initiatives and the subsequent replication in other similar informal settlements, raising questions of its effectiveness and sustainability. It was against this background that this study was devised to examine the structure of the participatory slum upgrading approach to determine how it can best be adapted to enhance its sustained effectiveness in low-income housing delivery in Kenya. This study focused on the structure of the Kambi Moto Settlement Upgrading in Huruma, Nairobi City County. The study objectives were: to examine the key elements of the participatory approach to slum upgrading; to evaluate the methodology for application of participatory slum upgrading in the Kambi Moto settlement upgrading program; to establish the key success factors of the Kambi Moto settlement upgrading program and establish an objective approach of assessing success of participation, and to propose an operational framework for the implementation of participatory slum upgrading to enhance its sustainability in informal settlement upgrading and housing provision. The study found that residents were empowered to meaningfully and fully participate at each level during the implementation process. The discussions concluded that for the participatory approach to slum upgrading to be sustainable, the resulting human settlements must be designed, built and managed holistically, properly integrated into the existing social, cultural and economic fabric of the local neighbourhoods, and properly run and maintained. The study appreciates the importance of capacity building to enhance meaningful contribution by the beneficiaries. To enhance its sustainability, however, it is imperative to go beyond just participation and aim for the empowerment of the community beyond the project’s objectives to ensure continuity.