Conflict Over Urban Business Space: a Case of Kenyans and Somali Refugee Entrepreneurs in Nairobi’s Central Business Districts, 1991-2020
Abstract
This project paper seeks to investigate the conflict over urban space in Nairobi‟s CBD between
local entrepreneurs and Somali refugee entrepreneurs. The paper focuses on the circumstances
that contribute to the conflict, consequences and the efforts taken by the central and local
government to address it. Accordingly, the entry of the Somali refugee entrepreneur has
produced tensions with locals because the of the unethical business practices that they utilize to
outmaneuver and edge out local business people. This imbalance both in the physical business
space and along the supply chains within the CBD has resulted in protests by local business
entrepreneurs demanding that Somalis refugee entrepreneurs leave the commercial space. The
paper also reveals that, while both the local and central governments have attempted to reduce
tensions through various measures, the CBD business space has undergone massive
transformation during the study period, implying that the potential for conflict remains.
Therefore, more research should be conducted to better understand the effects s of Somali
refugee investments in the Nairobi business environment
Publisher
University of Nairobi
Rights
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 United StatesUsage Rights
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/Collections
- Faculty of Arts [657]
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