Unsustainable urban land management for the low-income housing development A case study of soweto informal residential settlement in embakasi division, nairobi city

Abstract

This study is about the factors which influence land delivery and management in the low-income housing development. The study was· based on Soweto informal residential settlement in Embakasi Division, Nairobi. Soweto settlement was established by the Government to resettle households displaced from various parts of Nairobi City. Land allocation in the settlement was to be done by the Provincial Administration particularly the local Chiefs Office. The residents were required to get Temporary Occupation Licenses to develop housing on self-help efforts. Despite the objectives of establishing the settlement by the Government, land management for low-income housing development in the settlement have been inefficient. As a result, many households have no access to land for housing development. In addition, some middle and high-income groups have invaded the land which was originally designated for the poor and low-income-households. The objectives of this study were to try and find out factors which have led to the compromising of the institutional responsibility in the settlement. The premise of the study was that efficient land management is a factor of the local capacity-buildinq. This would ensure equitable land distribution and proper land use for the local community. The study was designed in a way that would investigate how the local . capacity-develop" ~t .relate to management of land for housing development. ~. -- Investigations were also carried out to determine factors which influence capacity development in the settlement. Examples of the factors which were considered include, household incomes, education level of the residents and the level of membership to the local community-based groups. The community-based groups were assumed to be strong determinants of capacity-development.