APPROACHES to INFORMAL SETTLEMENT UPGRADING in EAST AFRICA the Challenge of Sustainable Up-Scaling of Informal Settlement Upgrading

About CURI

The objective of the Center for Urban Research and Innovations (CURI) is to strengthen interdisciplinary urban research, collaborative planning processes and policy dialogue with the public, private and civil society. The mission of the Center based at the School of the Built Environment, University of Nairobi in line with a larger goal shared by the Association of African Planning Schools (AAPS), to create momentum for a larger change in Africa through the revitalization of planning education and practice and development of a critical number of centers of excellence for addressing core urban challenges through innovative urban research and practice. The support to strengthen urban research and innovation on the African continent is critical for promoting local knowledge production which is needed to enable African governments to better understand and manage the dramatic urbanization Approaches to Informal wave that is unfolding across the continent. Settlement Upgrading “The Challenge of Sustainable Upscaling of Informal Settlement Upgrading in East Africa”

PROCEEDINGS OF A REGIONAL CONFERENCE

Department of Urban & Regional Planning Organized by Panafric Hotel, Nairobi, 11 July 2012 University of Nairobi, School of the Built Environment School of the Built Environment University of Nairobi P. O. Box 30197 Nairobi, Kenya Tel: 254 20 2711574, Mobile: +254 722 658781 in collaboration with Email: [email protected] Centre for Urban Research and Innovations University of Nairobi www.centerforurbaninnovations.org City Council of Nairobi REPUBLIC OF KENYA University of Nairobi

P. O. Box 30197 - 00100 Nairobi, Kenya www.centreforurbaninnovations.org APPROACHES TO INFORMAL SETTLEMENT UPGRADING IN EAST AFRICA The Challenge of Sustainable Up-scaling of Informal Settlement Upgrading

PROCEEDINGS OF A REGIONAL CONFERENCE

Held On 11TH JULY 2012 PANAFRIC HOTEL, NAIROBI Organisers University of Nairobi, School of the Built Environment Centre for Urban Research and Innovations

Partners University of California, Berkeley Slum Dwellers International (SDI) Muungano Support Trust (MuST) Akiba Mashinani Trust (AMT) Muungano wa Wanavijiji

Strategic Partners Kigali Institute of Science and Technology, Rwanda Ardhi University, Tanzania Makerere University, Uganda

Conference Secretariat Peter Ngau, Charles Karisa, Keziah Mwanga, , Olale Philip, James Wanyoike, Jacinta Mbilo Margaret Mutua and Judy Achieng’

Editorial Team Peter Ngau, Olale Philip, Jacinta Mbilo Margaret Mutua, Judy Achieng

ii TABLE OF CONTENT

LIST OF PLATES v LIST OF FIGURES v ABBREVIATIONS iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS vii FOREWORD viii EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ix INTRODUCTION xi

PART ONE: CONFERENCE OPENING SESSION 1 1.1.Opening Statements 1 1.2.Conference Opening Speech 2

PART TWO: SLUM UPGRADING APPROACHES: LESSONS AND EXPERIENCES 5 2.1.University Initiatives in Informal Settlement Upgrading 5 2.1.1.Ardhi University, Tanzania - Prof. Alphonse G. Kyessi 5 2.1.2.Makerere University, Uganda - Dr. Shauib Lwasa 7 2.1.3.Kigali Institute of Science and Technology, Rwanda - Mr. Antoine Muhirwa 8 2.1.4.University of Nairobi, Kenya- Prof. Peter M. Ngau 10 2.1.5.University of California, Berkeley - Prof. Jason Corburn 14 2.1.6.Technical Advisor Belgian Technical Cooperation, Uganda - Dr. Micheal Majale 15 2.1.7.Question and Answer 16 2.2.Government Initiatives in Informal Settlement Upgrading 17 2.2.1.Ministry of Housing, Kenya - Ms. Theresa Munyua 17 2.2.2.Ministry of Lands, Housing & Urban Development, Uganda - Mr. Sam Mabala 18 2.2.3.Rwanda Housing Authority – Ministry of Infrastructure (Rwanda) – Mr. Edward Kyazze 20 2.2.4.Question and Answer 21 2.3.Community Initiatives in Informal Settlement Upgrading 23 2.3.1.Centre for Community Initiative in Tanzania – Ms. Mwanakombo Mkanga 23 2.3.2.Umande Trust - Ms. Joyce Wambui 24 2.3.3.Practical Action - Paul Chege 26 2.3.4.Muungano Support Trust Kenya - Ms. Irene Karanja 27 2.3.5.Actogether, Uganda - Sarah Ibanda 28

iii 2.3.6.Pamoja Trust (Participatory Slum Upgrading) –Arch. Joseph Mukeku 31 2.3.7.Question and Answer 33

PART THREE: NEW OPPORTUNITIES PRESENTED BY NATIONAL CONSTITUTIONS AND POLICIES FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF INFORMAL SETTLEMENT UPGRADING 35 3.1.Legal Rights for Informal Settlements - Jane Weru 35 3.2.Ministry Housing, Kenya - Mr. Thomas Ogutu 36 3.3.Urban Development Policy in Kenya - Mr. Patrick Adolwa 37 3.4.Challenges in Policy Implementation Kenya - Ms. Miriam Maina 37 3.5.Policy Initiatives for Informal Settlement Upgrading in Tanzania - Dr. Silas Shemdoe 37 3.6.Youth and Gender Issues in Informal Settlements - Ms. Emily Wangari 38 3.7.Question and Answer Session 39

PART FOUR: TOWARDS SUSTAINABLE INFORMAL SETTLEMENT UPGRADING 41 4.1.Principles and Guidelines 41 4.2.Indicators for Measuring Impact of Upgrading 41 4.3.Land Access and Basic Services 42 4.5.Governance and Resources 42 4.6.Green Economy, Climate Change and Environment 42

PART FIVE: CONFERENCE RESOLUTIONS: 44 5.1.Key points from the Conference - Mr. Josiah Omotto 44

PART SIX: CONFERENCE RESOLUTIONS 46

REFERENCES 49 Appendix A: CONFERENCE PARTICIPANTS 50 Appendix B: CONFERENCE PROGRAM 52 Appendix C: RESPONSES FROM CONFERENCE PARTICIPANTS AFTRE 54 Appendix D: ABOUT THE PRESENTERS 56 Appendix E: CONFERENCE PICTURES 60

iv LIST OF PLATES

Plate 1 Informal Settlement in Tanzania Buruguni Mnyamani 6

Plate 2 Case of Informal Settlement in Kigali, Rwanda 9

Plate 3 Government KENSUP Project in Kibera Soweto East 11

Plate 4 Housing Provision by Private Developers: Pipeline Estate Nairobi, Kenya 12

Plate 5 In-situ Upgrade Project through partnership Kambi Moto, Nairobi 13

Plate 6 Community making Construction Material at Chamazi Project in Tanzania 23

Plate 7 Complete houses at Chamazi Community Based Housing Scheme in Tanzania 24

Plate 8 A bio-centre structure and an operational bio centre in the informal settlement 25

LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1 Knowledge Translation and Management 8

v ABBREVIATIONS AFD French Development Agency

CBO Community Based Organizations

CCI Centre for Community Initiative

EPM Environmental management and planning

GoR Government of Rwanda

KCCA Kampala Capital City Authority

KENSUP Kenya Slum Upgrading Program

KISIP Kenya Informal Settlements Improvement Project

KIST Kigali Institute of Science and Technology

MOU Memorandum of Understanding

MuST Muungano Support Trust

NGO Non-Governmental Organizations

PELUC Planning Education and Livable Urban Communities

SDI Slum Dwellers International

SIDA Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency

vi ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The School of the Built Environment, Centre for Urban Research and Innovations would like to send a word of appreciation to all delegates who participated in this conference, whose aim was to share lessons on sustainable up scaling of informal settlements upgrading in East Africa. Your attendance and participation remains highly appreciated. We are happy that the aim of the conference was greatly achieved as indicated in the feedback from the participants. We wish to thank the Rockefeller Foundation for supporting both the research behind this initiative and the conference. We wish to thank University of Nairobi, especially the Principal, College of Architecture and Engineering, the Dean, School of the Built Environment, the Grants Office and the Business Centre for facilitating the conference. We sincerely thank our partners: Muungano Support Trust (MuST), University of California, Berkeley, Akiba Mashinani Trust (AMT), Pamoja Trust (PT) and the Government of Kenya through the Ministry of Housing for both their material and non-material support. Further, we acknowledge the input of the chief conference moderator Mr. Josiah Omotto; session moderators including Prof. Tom Anyamba Tom, Prof. Edward Kairu, Prof. Alfred Omenya and the team of rapportours including Dr Luke Obala, Mr. Franklin Mwango and Mr Arthur Mwaura for ensuring a smooth and well-coordinated conference. We further acknowledge all those who helped in the organization and coordination of the conference. In deed your unwavering commitment to the success of this conference cannot go unappreciated.

vii FOREWORD By the middle of this century all regions of the world will be predominantly urban. East Africa though presently among the least urbanized (24%) is experiencing very rapid rate of urbanization (around 4.0% per annum). Studies have shown that urbanization has many advantages to a developing country. However, the urban expansion experienced in East Africa is to large extent characterized by the growth of unplanned settlements accompanied by high levels of poverty and unemployment. The urban population in East Africa is highly varied. It varies from a low of less than 10% in Rwanda to 40 % in Kenya. What is notable is the generally high percent of the urban population living in informal settlements, around 65 per cent. Furthermore the rate of growth of urban slums in the region is among the highest in the world at around 5 percent. The UN-HABITAT estimates that a total of 227 million people had moved from slum conditions between the years 2000-2010. Within the same period, the proportion of the urban population living in slums in the developing world declined from 39 per cent (2000) to an estimated 32 per cent (2010). Eastern Africa is among the regions lagging behind in curbing the growth of slums and improving the living conditions of slum dwellers while Asia leads the pack in best practice. In recent years, Governments in East Africa together with development partners have adopted policies and initiated several programs to counter the expansion of existing slums, prevent growth of new ones as well as improve the lives of those living in informal settlements. However, despite the many initiatives little progress seems to have been made leaving the question “Where are we going wrong or what are we not doing”? A closer look at the successful countries shows that their Governments and Municipalities have taken responsibility for slum reduction squarely on their shoulders, backing international commitments with bold policy reforms, and thwarting future slum growth with inclusive planning and economic strategies. Effective slum upgrading also require institutional capacity building, monitoring and scaling up of successful local projects. A number of progressive policies are emerging in the region. For example, Kenya has a new constitution, a new land policy and is in the process of revising the housing policy. However, the general lack of political commitment and lack of coordination of slum upgrading projects have stood as some of the major impediments to slum upgrading in the region. It’s against this background that the University of Nairobi in collaboration with partners within Kenya (Muungano Support Trust (MuST), Akiba Mashinani Trust (AMT) and the Muungano wa Wanavijiji) and outside (UC Berkeley, SDI, and sister Universities in the East Africa region) sought to convene a regional conference to explore approaches and share lessons on sustainable up scaling of informal settlements upgrading in East Africa. The conference drew participants from Universities, Government and Municipal institutions, Civil Society and Local Communities (Muungano wa Wanavijiji). This publication presents proceeding of the conference. Rather than present well-structured papers the proceedings reflect deliberations as it took place on the floor. It presents brief presentations from key speakers, representing respective countries and conference themes followed by question and answer. We hope the exchange and lessons shared here will be of relevance to both researchers, policy makers and practitioners in the sector.

Prof. Peter M. Ngau Centre for Urban Research and Innovations University of Nairobi viii EXECUTIVE SUMMARY On 11th July 2012, the University of Nairobi, School of the Built Environment, in collaboration with partners organized a regional Conference to explore approaches and share lessons on sustainable up-scaling of informal settlements upgrading in East Africa. With only an estimated 23.5 per cent of the population living in urban areas, East Africa remains the least urbanized sub-region in Africa. The urban population in East Africa is highly varied but overall experiencing one of the highest growth rates in the world. It varies from a low of less than 10% in Rwanda to about 40 % in Kenya. What is notable is the generally high percent of the urban population living in informal settlements, around 65 per cent. Furthermore the rate of growth of urban slums in the region is among the highest in the world at around 5 percent. UN-HABITAT reports that the proportion of the urban population living in slums in the developing world declined from 39 per cent (2000) to an estimated 32 per cent (2010) as Governments and International Agencies have taken steps to counter the expansion of existing slums, prevent growth of new ones as well as improve the lives of those living in informal settlements. Eastern Africa is among the regions lagging behind in curbing the growth of slums and improving the living conditions of slum dwellers while Asia leads the pack in best practice. Urban areas in East Africa are plagued by seemingly ever-increasing unemployment rates, residential overcrowding, and deterioration of already over stretched infrastructure and services, high infant mortalities and violation of basic human rights, environmental degradation and acute housing shortages. Over the last decade, Governments in East Africa together with development partners have adopted numerous policies and initiated several programs geared towards slum upgrading. In the respective countries, several donor funded NGOs have also undertaken small scale upgrading projects within the slums complementing the efforts of Governments and Municipalities. However, despite the many initiatives little progress seems to have been made leaving the question “Where are we going wrong or what are we not doing”? In view of the already challenging conditions noted above the conference was convened to explore approaches and share lessons on sustainable up-scaling of informal settlements upgrading in the region. The conference which was held at Panafric Hotel, Nairobi was attended by over 100 participants representing Governments and Municipalities, Universities, civil society and community representatives drawn from Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda and Tanzania. This conference had the following objectives: 1. Share approaches/methodologies for informal settlement upgrading through case studies, identify and examine strengths and weaknesses of successful ways of up- scaling. 2. Explore opportunities and challenges presented by the national constitutions and policies for Implementation of informal settlement upgrading. 3. Develop guidelines, principles and indicators for measuring impacts of implementing sustainable informal settlement upgrading. The Conference was officially opened by Mr. Tirop Kosgey, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Housing, Republic of Kenya, represented by Ms. Leah Muraguri, Director of KENSUP, while Dr. James Nyoro, Director, Rockefeller foundation, Africa, Prof. Tom Anyamba, Dean, School of the Built Environment, and Prof. Peter Ngau, Director, Centre for Urban Research and Innovations, University of Nairobi made the opening statements. One of the highlight of the opening session was the launch of the Mathare Zonal Plan prepared by the residents of Mathare Informal

ix Settlement in collaboration with University of Nairobi and University of California, Berkeley, the civil society, and City Council of Nairobi and other service providers. The conference was organized into three major sessions: Session 1, Slum upgrading approaches: lessons and experiences; Session 2, New opportunities presented by national constitutions and policies for implementation of informal settlement upgrading; and Session 3, Group discussions - towards sustainable informal settlement upgrading. Sessions 1 and 2 were organized around panels to enable sharing of approaches and lessons on diverse informal settlement upgrading initiatives in the region. The first session had three panels examining contributions from Governments and Municipalities, Universities, and Communities and civil societies. The second session had one panel with representatives from Government, Civil Society, Universities and informal settlement communities and youth. In the final session, all participants contributed insights and lessons on the way forward. Running concurrently with the conference were interviews with key delegates from the region. The following are the key resolutions emanating from the conference: - Acknowledging that East Africa’s future is unquestionably urban there is urgent need for Governments, Municipalities and stakeholders to urgently reverse the negative phenomenon and inhuman conditions presented by informal settlements in the region’s rapidly growing urban areas. - To counter the expansion of existing slums, prevent growth of new ones as well as improve the lives of those living in informal settlements requires adoption of innovative approaches in tackling the dynamic issues within the region’s emerging urban areas and concerted implementation of progressive policies for informal settlement upgrading. - Sustainable informal settlement upgrading requires visionary leadership and good governance in the management of emerging urban areas, building synergy in partnership for informal settlement upgrading and broad collaboration of all urban actors and need for multi–disciplinary teams - Community led planning and development to address basic needs for infrastructure, housing, and livelihoods is critical in order to avoid hijacking of programs meant for the urban poor The conference was without doubt a successful event, being the first of its kind in East Africa. The general feeling as the conference came to an end was that the East African region which has the highest proportion of people living informal settlements with the worst living conditions urgently need remedy of this dubious identity. It was further noted that countries in East Africa though they have popular visions for national development have extreme inequalities which make those visions unsustainable. A close look at successful countries shows their Governments and Municipalities have taken responsibility for slum reduction squarely on their shoulders and sustainable development must be people centred.

x INTRODUCTION It is estimated that today, over half of the world’s population lives in urban areas and by the middle of this century all regions will be predominantly urban, with the tipping point in Eastern Africa anticipated slightly after 2050. Studies have shown that urbanization has many advantages to a developing country However, in many developing countries, urban expansion has been characterized by the growth of unplanned settlements due to the high levels of poverty and unemployment of rural-urban immigrants. Currently an estimated over 60% of urban dwellers in Sub-Saharan Africa are living in slums. With only an estimated 23.5% of the population living in urban areas, East Africa remains the least urbanized sub-region in Africa. The urban population in East Africa is highly varied but overall experiencing one of the highest growth rates. It varies from a low of less than 10% in Rwanda to about 40 % in Kenya. What is notable is the generally high percent of the urban population living in informal settlements, around 65 per cent. Furthermore the rate of growth of urban slums in the region is among the highest in the world at around 5 percent. The UN-HABITAT estimates that a total of 227 million people had moved from slum conditions between the years 2000-2010. Within the same period, the proportion of the urban population living in slums in the developing world declined from 39% (2000) to an estimated 32% (2010) as Governments and International Agencies have taken steps to counter the expansion of existing slums, prevent growth of new ones as well as improve the lives of those living in informal settlements. However, the numbers of slum dwellers increased considerably . Despite surpassing the MDG target on improving the lives of at least 100 million slum dwellers by 2020 by more than 2.2 times 10 years in advance, the situation still remains grim. This therefore means the progress made on the slum target has not been enough to counter the demographic expansion in informal settlements in the developing world. Eastern Africa is among the regions lagging behind in curbing the growth of slums and improving the living conditions of slum dwellers while Asia leads the pack in best practice. Over the last decade, Governments in East Africa together with development partners have adopted numerous policies and initiated several programs geared towards slum upgrading. In Kenya, the year 2003 saw the signing of a MoU endorsing the Kenya Slum Upgrading Program (KENSUP) funded jointly by the UN-HABITAT/World Bank Cities Alliance and the Government of Kenya. In 2011, Kenya Informal Settlement Improvement project (KISIP) was also launched to complement KENSUP in 15 Municipalities throughout the country. In the respective countries, several donor funded NGOs have also undertaken small scale upgrading projects within the slums complementing the efforts of Governments and Municipalities. However, despite the many initiatives little progress seems to have been made leaving the question “Where are we going wrong or what are we not doing”? A closer look at the successful countries shows that their Governments and Municipalities have taken responsibility for slum reduction squarely on their shoulders, backing international commitments with bold policy reforms, and thwarting future slum growth with inclusive planning and economic strategies. Effective slum upgrading also require institutional capacity building, monitoring and scaling up of successful local projects.

National constitutions and policies have considerable bearing on the formation and status of slums, including success or failure of implementation of slum upgrading policies. A number of progressive policies are emerging in the region. For example, Kenya has a new constitution,

xi Land policy and is in the process of finalizing Eviction and Resettlement guidelines as part of the policy reforms regarding slum upgrading in the country. However, the general lack of political commitment and minimal budget resource allocation to slum upgrading projects have stood as some of the major impediments to slum upgrading in Kenya. Slum upgrading projects in Kenya have also focused at small scale units or single services resulting in little disintegrated effects. Studies have shown that improving the lives of slum dwellers calls for macro-level plans and programs that are multi-sectoral: housing, infrastructure, improved water and sanitation, adequate living spaces and economic empowerment strategies associated with micro-level schemes. It’s against this background that the University of Nairobi in collaboration with partners within Kenya (Muungano Support Trust (MuST), Akiba Mashinani Trust (AMT) and the Muungano wa Wanavijiji) and outside (UC Berkeley, SDI, and sister Universities in the East Africa region) recently convened a regional conference to explore approaches and share lessons on sustainable up scaling of informal settlements upgrading in East Africa. The conference drew participants from Universities, Government and Municipal institutions, Civil Society and Communities Organizations (Muungano wa Wanavijiji). The specific objectives of the workshop were: - To share approaches/methodologies for informal settlement upgrading through case studies, and identify successful ways of up-scaling. - To explore opportunities and challenges presented by the new national constitutions and policies for Implementation of informal settlement upgrading. - To develop guidelines, principles and indicators for measuring impacts of implementing sustainable informal settlement upgrading. The conference was expected to come up with the following outputs: (1) New approaches and methodologies for up scaling infrastructure development and upgrading of informal settlements; (2) Lessons and opportunities from the new Constitutions and policies for implementation of programs which are responsive to local community needs; (3) Broad consensus and adoption of guidelines, principles, and indicators for measuring the impact of organizing informal settlement upgrading

xii PART ONE: CONFERENCE OPENING SESSION

Left to right - Dr. James Nyoro, Director, Rockefeller foundation Africa; Prof. Tom Anyamba, Dean, School of the Built Environment; Ms Jane Weru, Director Akiba Mashinani Trust, Kenya; Mr. Thomas Ogutu, Minis- try of Housing; Ms. Leah Muraguri, Director KENSUP

1.1. Opening Statements

The opening session was moderated by Mr. Josiah Omotto, Director, Umande Trust. During this session Dr. James Nyoro, Director, Rockefeller Foundation Africa, Prof. Tom Anyamba, Dean, School of the Built Environment and Prof. Peter M. Ngau, Director, Center for Urban Research and Innovation also spoke. Mr. Omotto welcomed and introduced the delegates from the various countries including Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Rwanda; he further welcomed the members of the media who were covering the conference. He noted that East Africa and especially Kenya has some of the largest informal settlements in Africa. Prof. Ngau also welcomed the delegates on behalf of the organizers of the conference. The conference organizers were University of Nairobi, School of the Built Environment in collaborating with partners from within Kenya: Muungano Support Trust (MuST), Akiba Mashinani Trust (AMT), Muungano wa Wanavijiji and SDI; and from outside Kenya: University of California, Berkeley, Ardhi University, Tanzania, Makerere University, Uganda and Kigali Institute of Science and Technology, Rwanda. Prof Ngau also introduced the main objective of the conference, to explore the challenges facing sustainable up-scaling of informal settlement upgrading in East Africa. He then welcomed Prof. Anyamba, the Dean School of the Built

1 Environment, University of Nairobi to make an opening statement on behalf of the Principal, College of Architecture and Engineering, University of Nairobi. Prof. Anyamba who is the Dean School of the Built Environment welcomed the delegates to the conference on behalf of the Principal College of Architecture and Engineering, University of Nairobi. He expressed his pleasure at the organization of such a timely conference. He said that it was of great importance for all the stakeholders from different institutions and countries attending the conference, to debate and exchange ideas on the whole issue of sustainable up- scaling of informal settlements upgrading. He stated that the issue of informal settlements is as a result of the failures in formal processes and this needed to be corrected. Further, he noted that projections show that in the near future, a majority of people in Kenya will be residing in the urban centers hence the need to deal with the various issues of housing. The greatest affected populations are the urban poor who he said form the majority of the urban population. He stressed that human rights for the urban poor need to be protected and ways of providing affordable housing explored. It is in view of this that he urged all participants to ensure that the workshop focused on informal settlement up-scaling. He thereafter invited Dr. James Nyoro from the Rockefeller foundation to give his opening remarks. Dr. James Nyoro, stated that the Rockefeller Foundation was proud to be part of such a timely conference. He concurred with Prof Anyamba that the reality in Africa was that majority of the poor would be living in urban centers in the near future hence the conference was a great opportunity to explore viable strategies for addressing the persistent problem of slums as well as an opportunity to steer the development of upcoming urban centers in good time. He further underscored the need for innovative ideas towards urban development. He specifically gave reference to the Kenyan Constitution that gives provision for county development. He noted that these counties will need innovative ideas in their development. The Rockefeller foundation, he said, was highly concerned about issues of humanity and urbanization which explained their pride in the project. He advised on the need to build on the social capital in the informal settlement; in resources and ideas “the poor do have the necessary resources and ideas though at times, these ideas are not well organized” and that is where the professional world steps in. He finished his statement by indicating that “the power of partnerships is great and there is need to enumerate and replicate documented successes throughout Africa in the whole process of slum up-scaling”.

1.2. Conference Opening Speech Ms. Leah Muraguri, on behalf of the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Housing, gave the official opening speech of the conference. In the speech, the PS noted that the concern with informal settlements was a constitutional issue in Kenya and that about 60% of the urban population lives in informal settlements. It was noted that this is a great issue of concern as such huge populations in the informal settlements contribute a lot to the economy yet live in deplorable conditions - congested, lacking basic facilities and services, prone to health hazards and disasters, both natural and man-made.

On the part of the government, the PS reported that it has made great steps in terms of the implementation of the Constitution of Kenya 2010, including Bill of Rights and devolution by facilitating decentralization and review of the Housing Policy as a guiding framework to provide for among others - wide stakeholders participation; use of appropriate technology (ABTs), incentives etc; implementation of the Civil Servants’ Housing Scheme; Enabling implementation of Kenya Vision 2030 and flagship projects, slum upgrading efforts - KENSUP (physical and social infrastructure, housing cooperatives), KISIP (Ministry of Lands, Local

2 Ms. Leah Muraguri launching the Mathare Zonal plan

Government), Millennium Development Goals and the National Land Policy. The challenges faced by the Ministry of Housing, it was noted, included inadequate preparedness for the high urbanization trends, the high cost of housing as a result of having the private sector being the major developers yet they are not involved in the process of slum development, insecurity of land tenure which inhibits investment by the residents, conflicts of interest by the structure owners and tenants, poverty and lastly gentrification or buying off of beneficiaries of improved settlements by selfish individuals.

The PS acknowledged the efforts of the University in informal settlement upgrading but called for a holistic approach so as to have a consistent way of dealing with the informal settlements. That there is great eagerness to invest in housing but there is little space being given to the planning aspect and this should be addressed and that the universities should develop innovative and enabling standards and regulations relating to planning and building. Some of the innovative approaches identified by the Permanent Secretary included - acceptable models of land access/ownership i.e. land sharing, forward planning of receiving areas in advance of occupation/settlement to which the PS asked “how prepared are the counties in regard to the scaled up responsibilities?”, Land banking and access to serviced land and viability of social housing. The university should also explore additional financing options for the upgrading process and find ways to sensitize the country into becoming a planning society.

The PS called for identification of indicators for sustainable informal settlement upgrading. That the success of these initiatives would be seen in the number of people accessing basic services, a significant reduction in child and maternal mortality rates, improved health of the dwellers and a reduction in growth of informal settlements. In this respect, it was noted that

3 in order to measure the impacts of improvements, a full baseline survey (situational analysis) pertaining to these settlements should be conducted.

The PS concluded the opening speech by commend the stakeholders who have collaborated in the preparation of the Mathare Zonal plan - community members, MuST, SDI, DURP- UoN who have also organized the conference and the Department of City Regional Planning University of California, Berkeley. It was reported that the move is a good indicator of stakeholder’s willingness and commitment towards transformation of the squalid living conditions in Mathare slum settlement. She further said that the PS advised that for purposes of moving this initiative to another level it was important that the Zonal plan is submitted to relevant authorities; City Council of Nairobi, Ministry of Local Government and Department of Physical Planning in Ministry of Land for purposes of its adoption and inclusion in overall planning of the city.

4 PART TWO: SLUM UPGRADING APPROACHES: LESSONS AND EXPERIENCES

In addressing the need for sustainable up-scaling of informal settlement upgrading this conference brought together different actors in the region; government institutions, local governments, universities, development agencies, professional associations, private sector and civil societies to share experiences and lessons. The presentations and discussions were organized around sessions and panels of key actors in informal settlement upgrading.

2.1 University Initiatives in Informal Settlement Upgrading Institutions of higher learning play a big role in the development of any country. This is achievable through the development of countries’ human capital through training, development of new knowledge and technologies through research and advisory work such as formulation of relevant policies and strategies. Universities in East Africa have provided vital technical support to the governments. However, the challenges brought about by rapid urbanization in the 21st century represents vast dynamics which need to be addressed through innovative researches, provision of negotiated guidelines and integrated policies. The first panel explored what the local universities and partners are doing to address urban issues in the 21stcentury such as congestion, informal settlement, urban inequalities.

2.1.1 Ardhi University, Tanzania - Prof. Alphonse G. Kyessi In his presentation Professor Kyessi of Ardhi University pointed out that the urban population in Tanzania is estimated at 10 million, while 80% of these residents are housed in the informal housing. The informal housing is as a result of rapid urbanization coupled with inadequacy in provision of affordable housing by the government and private agencies to residents. He also noted, other issues like income levels and affordability of informal houses push majority of urban population to informal settlements. In Dar es Salaam alone out of the 5,000 houses within the urban areas 4,000 of these are informal houses. The Ardhi University Professor believes that, learning institutions are better placed in not only finding solutions to issues affecting informal settlement but also controlling the emergence in future. In this line the Ardhi University offers training to professionals: the university currently offers a comprehensive undergraduate course in Urban and Regional planning with one year studio session. This studio focus is on the informal settlement; undertaking research and offering innovative possible solutions for informal settlements upgrade. They also offer short courses in informal settlement upgrading and regularization to government officials and public to aid improve the state of the informal settlements and a one month course on GIS usage in settlement regularization. The university takes part in national policy formulation; they offer guidelines in formulation of policies in the country e.g. Urban Development Policy. They also conduct research with the residents in their settlement and advice government on possible developments e.g. Ubunge Darajani Land Use Plan where the community, government and the university worked together to improve their Prof. Alphonse G. Kyessi

5 settlements. The other role of the university is back stopping and execution of project. The university works closely with the Government not only in formulating policies but also in the execution of plans. Together with, policy formulation they offer consultation services to government ministries and local authorities; they conduct baseline studies for evaluation of regularization and formulization of community upgrade project e.g. case of Hanna Nassif in Dar es Salaam in 1994 and 1998.

The current policies and legal instruments in Tanzania recognize informal settlements as a part of the urban fabric; yet, residents in these settlements have been deprived the most basic rights and entitlements lack of security of tenure and access to basic infrastructure: roads, water and social facilities. There is therefore, the need to realize full implementation of these pro poor strategies for more inclusive urban areas.

Plate 1 Informal Settlement in Tanzania Buruguni Mnyamani

Characteristics: poor sanitation, low income rates among the residents, lack of street lighting and inadequate space for infrastructure development; roads, sewer, drainages since all the land parcels in the informal settlements are privately owned.

6 2.1.2 Makerere University, Uganda - Dr. Shauib Lwasa Despite the many initiatives by international, national, city-specific and local organizations in managing urban areas, urbanization continues to pose challenges in planning; informal settlements are growing exponentially, environmental degeneration continues, inequality and poverty are on the rise. According to Dr. Shuaib Lwasa, Makerere University and all East Africa universities require rethinking the urban planning training approach. Currently, the training is North oriented (Eurocentric) and is incapacitated in addressing issues in Africa cities. The focus should be on experiential local knowledge-based planning which focuses on 21st century cities and specific urban area’s needs. The speaker noted that the current curriculum in Makerere University and other East Africa universities are more Eurocentric hence not capable of addressing current and future needs of their urban spaces. In this line, he called upon learning institutions in East Africa to redefine notion on urban space by looking at urban space in its immediate context and at the same time redefine the standards and guidelines. Secondly, universities can contribute to community knowledge or what is known about our urban communities’ social, economic, political, cultural aspects, strengths and opportunities can assist much in planning. The economic level of the residents and affordability dictates the houses to provide. In knowing their social economic strength improvement on the same can be achieved through innovative technology and planning. Thirdly, universities contribute to advancement on professional skills. These are transferred to the urban planners to deliver better planning. Through research gaps have been identified which include conceptual, managerial, operational incompetence in practice. The conceptual incompetence’s are visible in the always present discrepancies in plans prepared and the actual reality on ground. The managerial and operation incompetence is evident among practicing planners and city managers. How to address this? Education informed by current research is key to addressing these gaps in tandem with well-designed and focused training that nurtures skills in rethinking urban planning. The Makerere University has changed its approach and adopted innovative urban planning approaches, including planning using livelihood as a base. It is true that everyone in the city desires to live in decent house and environment but we find that some urban residents cannot afford. In addition, university has formulated a program called the Planning Education and Livable Urban Communities (PELUC), the program is support by the UN-HABITAT. PELUC has two elements Urban Action Lab and Local Urban Knowledge Arena. The Urban Action Lab is for research centre similar to Centre for Urban Research and innovation in University of Nairobi, and local urban knowledge arena is a platform for sharing knowledge as well as prioritizing the urban research agenda. The programs brings the element on how much is known about the urban areas and based on what is known connect different actors (participatory planning and design), and based on the two develop innovative guidelines and policies. The diagram below is a presentation of PELUC program. All these are mainstreamed in the curriculum and shared with policy makers to realize the transformation needed. In this respect, Makerere University has twinned the policy implementers e.g. KCCA (Kampala Capital City Authority) Dr. Shauib Lwasa

7 and other smaller town authorities to enable adoption of university’s innovations in city management, planning and upgrading Dr. Lwasa indicated that Makerere University intends to use education to engineer their city. In an Article by an Egyptian Scholar Al–Asharabi Cities as a Product of the Social Process, education is one of the elements of social process. Through education, countries have engineered cities; in North Africa for example engineered cities will have the desert area transformed into apartments and satellite towns. Dr. Lwasa further indicated that the university is looking at possibilities of engineering education to produce livable cities in Uganda and in the region.

Figure 1 Knowledge Translation and Management

PELUC

Participatory Urban Planning Education Policy and planning Planning and Design practice "

Good practices, lessons and Curriculum and Education Innovation in policy and showcases innovation practice

Internet based portal Protocols, standards and " for knowledge access

management (LUKA)

Users: Communities, Policy makers, Researchers, international networks, Universities and training institutions planning schools

2.1.3 Kigali Institute of Science and Technology, Rwanda - Mr. Antoine Muhirwa Rwanda is faced with the problem of informal settlements irrespective of its low urbanization rate of 10% compared to other East Africa Countries. The total number of people living in these informal settlements is quite low compared to the other countries in East Africa. The major problems that were noted in the settlements were the lack of proper road infrastructure, proper housing (Plate 2) and security of tenure.

The Government of Rwanda and various international organizations are doing a lot in providing decent housing for the urban residents, but with the aforementioned urbanization rate coupled with migration to the urban areas, emergence of informal settlements is inevitable in Rwanda urban areas. For sustainable urban spaces planning and design is therefore necessary.

8 In his presentation Mr. Muhirwa, lecturer at Kigali Institution of Science and Technology (KIST) pointed out that the institution aims at availing necessary technologies intended to aid development in the country and train professionals to address issues present in urban areas. The speaker noted also that the institution has done very little on informal settlement upgrading but currently, researching on appropriate approaches to provide for low cost housing.

To respond to low cost housing and informal settlement upgrading, the speaker noted KIST intends to use urban design and strategic urban planning as tools for slum upgrading. With Mr. Antoine Muhirwa urban design, they will seek to create attractive urban spaces. These attractive urban spaces will increase the social and economic values of the area attracting private developers to invest. The speaker pointed out that Rwanda wants to invest in urban design more than their counterparts from Africa and Asia countries who deem it an expensive venture:

‘. ..the thought of urban design as expensive is not shared by us from Rwanda, there is need to use imaginative ideas and affordable technologies to come up with solutions to address aesthetic issues of informal settlement and neighborhoods. . .’said Mr. Muhirwa

The use of strategic urban planning appreciates the use of strategies that fit specific planning areas. In slum upgrading this will involve addressing the specific challenges in the slums through planning and design. Some of the strategies include: community-based approaches, individual based approaches, quick wins, leverage, showcase, and competition among others. The question will be how sustainable are they?

Plate 2 Case of Informal Settlement in Kigali, Rwanda

9 2.1.4 University of Nairobi, Kenya- Prof. Peter M. Ngau Urbanization in Kenya has grown rapidly over the last three decades, from a low of 15 % in 1980 to above 35% by 2010. The current urban population in Kenya around 14.5 million with an annual growth rate of 4.2%. Urbanization has many advantages to a developing country. However, in Kenya as in much of East Africa the emerging urban areas depict simultaneously human prosperity and deep human destitution. Kenya’s urban areas are currently plagued by increasing unemployment rates, residential overcrowding, and deterioration of already over stretched infrastructure and services, high infant mortalities and violation of basic human rights, environmental degradation and acute housing shortages. Kenya’s informal settlements sector has been extensively documented through university and non-university research. The literature ranges from popular literature, surveys and profiles, policy interventions and programs, to in depth analysis of their dynamics and socio- economic characteristics. Despite the extensive literature Kenya’s response on the growth and poor condition of its informal settlements has been fragmented and uncoordinated at both national and local government level. It has varied overtime depending on the prevailing development paradigm and political ideology. In 1960s and 1970s, there was some direct state-led intervention. Under the modernization ideology (1960s) attempt was made on production of low-income housing to meet growing housing demand. However, the main state approach to informal settlements was eradication through slum demolition . The housing produced turned out to be inadequate and unaffordable to masses flocking into the urban areas after the lifting of restrictions on travel and entry. In 1970s, under basic needs and theories of growth with distribution government focus changed to site and service schemes, self-help housing and slum upgrading. These were facilitated with assistance of various international development agencies among them, the World Bank and USAID. In 1980s and 1990s, Kenya like many African countries faced severe economic decline. The Western powers promoted neo-liberal policies and the Britton Woods Institutions (WB and IMF) enforced Structural Adjustment Programs (SAPs). These translated into withdrawal of the state from provision on many public services under the ideology of enablement and reduced role of the state.The consequence in the 1980s was rise in urban poverty, unchecked growth and densification of informal settlements and deterioration of living conditions. By 1990s urban areas in Kenya were characterized by institutional decay, breakdown of basic services including law and order . This was manifested through increased corruption within the state and government agencies; unregulated deployment of instruments of coercion by ruling elite; illegal land allocation by state and public officials, and the rise of illegal urban gangs . Massive evictions and slum demolitions took place as the political elite “land grabbers” sought the assistance of the provincial administration and courts to forcefully evict the slum residents from the lands allocated. In response, beginning 1996, civil organizations supported the emergence of a community lobby which crystallized into a movement of the urban poor called Muungano wa Wanavijiji. To a large extent the Muungano movement with the support of legal and other civil society groups was effective in limiting the number of slum demolitions and evictions by the end of 1900s At the turn of the century the government of Kenya had adopted a more accommodative view of informal settlements. Over the last 10 years, there has been renewed initiative by the state involving formulation of national policies and large-scale Prof. Peter M. Ngau

10 intervention programmes geared towards slum upgrading. The year 2003 saw the signing of a MoU endorsing the Kenya Slum Upgrading Programme (KENSUP) funded jointly by the UN- HABITAT/World Bank Cities Alliance and the Government of Kenya. In 2011, Kenya Informal Settlement Improvement project (KISIP) was also launched to complement KENSUP in 15 Municipalities throughout the country. At the same time, several small scale upgrading projects based on collaboration of NGOs, religious organizations, state and municipal authorities have been launched. Several legal and institutional changes have been made which support informal settlement intervention. These include the housing policy (2004), the National Land Policy (2009) and the new constitution (2010). Evidence on the ground shows that despite the above initiatives, the impact has been limited. Kenya is among the countries in Sub Saharan Africa lagging behind in curbing the growth of slums and improving the living conditions of slum dwellers. The government main programme (KENSUP) has been criticized for pursuing a redevelopment approach similar to the previous failed redevelopment schemes where slum dwellers made way for the middle income through gentrification. Government is also criticized for paying lip service to principles of participatory slum upgrading; and being reluctant to experiment with in situ upgrading which has proved most viable and affordable way to provide improved housing, infrastructure and livelihoods to the urban poor and can be implemented incrementally.

Plate 3 Government KENSUP Project in Kibera Soweto East

11 A new phenomenon in the provision of low income housing in Kenya is the private driven development of multi-storey tenement buildings any of them offering single rooms and up to eight stories high. Would this tenement housing initially adjoining the older slum areas, and increasingly replacing them through conversion be the future for the low income? To some the mushrooming of the mammoth tenements poses disaster of catastrophic proportions due to high risks of building collapse and fire. The levels of crowding are very high and those living there lack minimum open space, natural light and basic services of water, sanitation, solid waste and lighting are either rationed or in poor condition. The rents are higher than the average reining in the iron and mud walled row-shacks.

Plate 4 Housing Provision by Private Developers: Pipeline Estate Nairobi, Kenya

Planning education and practice in Kenya has had a mixed role in shaping the evolving legacy of informal settlements in the country. The country has over five universities training an increasing number of professional planners in urban and regional. University of Nairobi has the oldest school training professional planners in urban and regional planning, dating back to 1971. Training is offered at undergraduate and graduate levels. Between 1974 and 2000 the output was mainly at Master Level, around 12 per annum. Undergraduate training picked up after 2000 as more public universities were opened leading to a larger output of around 120 planners per annum. However, the curriculum in the current planning schools presents planning much as a technical activity in the physical planning and design of human settlements, with social, economic or political matters lying outside the scope of planning. Furthermore, the deployment of planners in public service and private practice has been hampered by unclear administrative and professional procedures.

12 Planning practice in Kenya has been as much a management tool of the state and very much part of the problem. Only recently has the scope for planning begun to broaden and accommodate the participation of the civil society. Planning continues to reflect the prevailing state ideology on social change, mainly conservative and rigid on planning standard which are at variance with local realities and context. As such, plans prepared for urban areas, beginning with the 1948 Master Plan for Nairobi, the subsequent 1973 Metropolitan Growth Strategy, and recent theme plans ignored the reality of informal settlements. Rather than being mainstreamed in city planning informal settlements have been various treated as (transient) special planning problems .

At the same time a number of planning initiatives have emerged in recent years aimed at transforming urban planning education and practice. A few NGOs working in the informal settlements have engaged the services of planners and architects in their work challenging them to innovate as they work outside the conventional settings . A few progressive planners in the Department of City Planning worked with Pamoja Trust and other grassroots organizations to launch Kambi Moto as a community led slum upgrading project in early 2000. Beginning 2007, an initiative emerged at the University of Nairobi as part of rethinking by a few urban planners and designers on the relevance of current planning and design education and the effectiveness contemporary urban planning practice. With initial funding from The Rockefeller Foundation the project named Urban Innovations Project (UIP aimed at exploring innovative methodologies for enabling professional planners and designers to be more responsive and effective in addressing challenges in contemporary and future African urban settlements.

Plate 5 In-situ Upgrade Project through partnership Kambi Moto, Nairobi

13 After four years UIP recently upgraded to Centre for Urban Research and Innovations within the School of the Built Environment. The Centre focuses on four interlinked areas: Applied urban Research and City Lab; Collaborative urban planning and Design studio; Urban Policy and Dialogue; and Revitalization of Planning Education and Continuous Professional Development (CPD). CURI undertakes research on thematic areas and issues to foster linkages of informed research knowledge with inclusive public policy making and collaborative urban planning processes. Strengthening of urban research and innovation is critical for promoting local knowledge production which is needed to enable African governments to better understand and manage the dramatic urbanization wave that is unfolding across the continent. Through collaborative urban planning the center seeks to articulate how urban planning as a technique and profession can be a medium for dialogue, inclusiveness and sharing resulting in a stronger and just socio-spatial environment. In the area of urban policy the centre seeks to facilitate critical planning dialogue and policy discourse amongst key stakeholders through holding seminars, workshops, conferences that encourage active public participation. The aim of curricula reform is to develop teaching content and methodologies that respond to current and future urbanization challenges in Africa.

Through UIP/CURI the University of Nairobi has undertaken several initiatives in applied urban research, collaborative urban planning, urban policy dialogue and revitalization of planning education in Kenya. Examples of research include settlement profiling in Mathare and Mukuru slums in Nairobi, civic engagement and planning in Ruiru municipality and research in flexible use of public spaces in Nairobi. The Centre has partnered with civil society organizations – Pamoja Trust, Muungano Support Trust and City Council of Nairobi in promoting community-led informal settlement upgrading in Nairobi. The upgrading initiative in Kosovo saw improvements in service delivery, such as better water reticulation and electricity. The partnership which includes University of California, Berkeley has recently completed preparation of the Mathare Zonal Plan aimed at upgrading of the entire Mathare informal settlements through provision of trunk services. Today’s conference is part of the Centre and University effort to explore approaches and share lessons on sustainable up scaling of informal settlements in East Africa.

2.1.5 University of California, Berkeley - Prof. Jason Corburn The University of California, Berkeley, Department of City & Regional Planning, in partnership with local universities e.g. University of Nairobi and organizations of the urban poor have worked in various informal settlements in Kenya with the aim of providing innovative approaches to up-scaling. It is against this backdrop that the California based Prof. Corburn suggested that there were at least the following five lessons from their experiences for sustainable upgrading of urban informal settlements in East Africa First, successful partnerships demand on-going collaborations with urban residents and the urban poor, not one-off events. One example is the ongoing collaboration with Muungano Support Trust, Slum Dwellers International, Akiba Mashinani Trust, University of Nairobi, University of California, Berkeley and local communities in planning for informal settlement upgrading. A key aspect of on-going partnerships from the University’s perspective should be action research, or data gathering and analysis that promote change. Professor Corburn noted that in the “21st century of the city,” these partnership need to increasingly be South – to - North partnerships where the NGOs and community Prof. Jason Corburn members are equal partners with academics, government and others.

14 Second, university partners need to acknowledge and appreciate local knowledge as legitimate expertise; urban residents are experts about their living conditions and ways to improve their situation. Over time it has become clearer that the challenges in informal settlements cannot be addressed by professionals working alone or as leaders. Community participation in planning and community led slum upgrading appreciate the co-production of expertise that includes both residents and professionals. Third, integrated, multidisciplinary problem solving is required. Planning for the improvement of complex urban spaces demands multi–disciplinary teams of urban planners, architects, surveyors, engineers, economists, public health specialists, lawyers, business specialties, sociologists and others. Yet, universities and many upgrading approaches are not organized this way, but rather around narrow disciplinary or sector-specific interventions. Informal settlements are quite complex and we should not loose the web of connections that make communities whole, even in informal settlements, by focusing on just some parts such as water, housing, sanitation, etc.. Universities can help organize multi-disciplinary teams that are needed to address the complex relationships between issues that are found in urban informal settlements. Fourth, policy, not just planning, matters for sustainable informal settlement upgrading. The focus of policies should be on promoting equity and a right to the city for the poor through changes to the institutions of municipal and national governance. The integrated issues in informal settlements demand new integrated institutions. We cannot solve the challenges facing informal settlements today with the same institutions that helped create the problems in the first place. In East Africa, communities, the government and learning institution need to take advantage of new policy windows (e.g. the constitution), law making, and devolution of governance to ensure policies are democratic and accountable to the needs of slum dwellers. Lastly, the universities need to equip a new generation of planners with the necessary knowledge, including technologic, negotiation and partnership- building skills to enable them to work better with urban communities in informal settlements and prepare them to address the 21st century challenges of African urbanization

2.1.6 Technical Advisor Belgian Technical Cooperation, Uganda - Dr. Micheal Majale Dr. Majale presentation was on environmental planning and management project done by the government of Uganda, the Kampala Capital City Authority, community, NGOs financed by Belgium Development Agency. The objective of the project was to improve the lives for poor communities in the suburbs of Kampala and Slums, through environmental management and planning. The expected output included; strengthened institutional capacity of KCCA in environmental planning and management, positive behavioural change of slum communities in use and maintenance of local infrastructure and improved environmental and housing conditions in the project area. The project being a pilot project was concentrated in three informal settlement areas/ slums in three parishes which are administrative units in Uganda each with a population of 15, 000 population. The lessons learnt from this project where to be replicated in up-scaling other informal settlements in Uganda. Strengthened institutional capacity in environmental planning and management of KCCA was done through study tours, trainings and capacity building. The lessons learnt included the need for KCCA to take the lead in the development and delivery of the capacity Dr. Micheal Majale

15 building training programme among its staff at all levels, and the use of study tours to enhance capacity development at the institution as well as community level. Positive behavioural change of slum communities in use and maintenance of local infrastructure was attained by creating awareness of importance of paying user fee in toilets, benefits of improved waste management through reduction, reuse and recycling, risks of indiscriminate disposal of solid waste into the drains, and benefits of household urban agriculture and greening of the parish. It was noted that behavioural change among informal settlement can change if mobilized and sensitized in proper channels. Local NGOs and CBOs were highly effective.

Improved environmental and housing conditions in the project area was realized. This was done through improved housing, advocacy/legal advice, urban agriculture and greening, improvement infrastructure; water, sanitation, drainage and roads and solid waste management. The following lessons were learnt: land access is a prerequisite in infrastructure development in informal upgrading. If the landlords in the slums are well sensitized on the project and the expected outcome they can freely give up land and without compensation.

Another important lesson is that gentrification is a predictable and understandable consequence of such upgrading interventions. Therefore, it is important to work with the tenants to see how to improve income levels and enable them to afford the inevitable higher rents through, for example, recycling of waste to generate income; or practicing urban agriculture to reduce expenditure on food, thereby increase disposable income.

2.1.7 Question and Answer The following questions were asked in this panel:

1. In relation to the daytime and night time population of Kampala, there are variances in the city due to the movement of the informal settlement dwellers. My understanding is that the mentality of the dwellers is that paying rent is a crime and thus people live under their own roof irrespective of the structure, could you expound that?

2. Why did the Kampala City Council change its name to Kampala Capital City Authority? Was it due to corruption? 3. In terms of urban upgrading, we need to think about building material and layout hence policy is a big issue. In terms of trying to reduce the prices of the building materials, what are the solutions of using urban design in Rwanda without overly concentrating on policy? 4. What are the possibilities of us sustaining what we have started as there is a tendency of abandoning projects halfway? 5. How can we realize a comprehensive approach towards upgrading without a committed leader? The panelists gave the following responses; Dr. Majale “Transport is cheap and life in the outskirts is cheaper thus one would rather board vehicles to Kampala and work there rather than live there hence the population discrepancies. The issue of KCC changing its name to KCCA is rather political. The Council did not want too much governmental control and it wanted to be community friendly and allow the incorporation of technology hence the reason to why all staff

16 were sacked and had to apply afresh. We are addressing the conceptual and operational gap through curriculum revision, that is, we are trying to produce planners who can think big but act small; in this way, they are able to marry theory with practice”. Mr. Antoine Muhirwa “So as not to concentrate on policy and focus on price reduction, we have three strategies: - To infuse local materials with technology so that they are sustainable. - Convince the slum dwellers to form housing co-operatives so as to ease the cost burden - Give tools to the community whether for building or learning. Prof. Kyessi “It is possible to have a comprehensive approach. For example, our president asked for a housing program in Tanzania which was done. Now, we have formalization and regularization program. What we need is a national housing program that covers all the towns so that it is comprehensive, no town is left behind and that the program is accepted and funded. Prof. Corburn emphasized on the importance of partnerships pointing out some great work achieved through partnerships. In addition, he concurred with Prof. Kyessi that comprehensive approach in up scaling informal settlement upgrade can achieve a great deal, this approach is a combination of workable policies, good leadership, strong grass-root networks, expertise and innovations. Lastly, he pointed out that effective and adaptable planning is necessary in our context.

2.2 Government Initiatives in Informal Settlement Upgrading Government is responsible for policy formulation as well as the implementations. In East Africa, governments have acknowledged their role in slum upgrading through policy formulation and implementation of programs. This section provides presentations and discussions on initiatives by government to upscale informal settlements upgrading.

2.2.1 Ministry of Housing, Kenya - Ms. Theresa Munyua Majority of urban residents in Nairobi and other urban areas in Kenya reside in informal settlements (i.e. slums). According to the Kenya Constitutions (2010) every urban resident has a right to decent housing. To this effect, the Ministry of Housing has embarked on programs towards slum upgrading, provision of infrastructure and formalization of land ownership. Examples are the Kenya Slum Upgrading Project (KENSUP) and Kenya Informal Settlements Improvement Project (KISIP). In her presentation Ms. Munyua noted that in the KENSUP project the Government of Kenya and the UN-HABITAT entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on 15th February 2003 to upgrade slums and informal settlements in Kenya starting with selected slums within the administrative boundaries of the Nairobi, Mavoko, Mombasa and Kisumu. The program was designed to promote participation at all level hence it has elaborate structures from the national level (policy making) to the community level (the project Ms. Theresa Munyua beneficiaries/clients).

17 First, the program seeks to promote community organization and resource mobilizations; in this the community is organized in saving groups to form housing cooperatives. Through resource mobilization the community can borrow funds and improve their conditions. Second, provision of social and physical infrastructure e.g. roads, schools, health facilities, lighting and others with the aim of informal settlement upgrade through infrastructure provision. Third, health and environment sensitization, they sensitize the community on HIV/ AIDs awareness and environmental cleanliness. Fourth, tenure regularization and structure improvement; they seek to improve the structures and promote tenure regularization. In Kibera they are concentrating on structure improvement and ownership due to the nature of land while in some areas they push for tenure regularization so that individuals can have rights to land. They therefore, work in collaboration with the Ministry of Lands and local authorities to achieve this. The KISIP project on the other hand is a donor funded project by the World Bank, SIDA and AFD, limited to only 15 municipalities. The KISIP project deals with improvement of infrastructure (water and sanitation, roads, foot paths, lighting, vending platforms and waste management), tenure regularization, capacity building and prevention of future growth of informal settlement through planning for growth.

In conclusion, informal settlements are home to a significant portion of the urban population that makes a major contribution to the national economy. It is thus imperative that concerted efforts are put in place to address the living and working environment of this labour force in order to realize and optimize their full potential. For sustainable informal settlement upgrading; the community needs to be well sensitized, all urban actors need to collaborate well, capacity building enhanced in all implementing actors and new planning standards and guidelines set for planning special areas e.g. slums and informal settlements areas.

2.2.2 Ministry of Lands, Housing & Urban Development, Uganda - Mr. Sam Mabala Uganda is rapidly urbanizing at a rate of 5.2% per annum. It has a current estimated population of 33.1 million growing at an average of 3.2% and projected to reach 110 million by 2050. Currently 19% of the population is in the urban areas expected to reach 50% by 2050. The high population growth is attributed to the high rural to urban influx, high natural population increase, creation of new administrative units, and expansion of the boundaries of the existing urban centres. Mr. Mabala the Commissioner for Urban Development, Ministry of Lands Housing and Urban Development Uganda explained that the high rural to urban migration is due to economic inequality which forces the poor to move to urban areas in search of economic opportunities. Ultimately, this leads to urbanization of poverty as many of the immigrants lack skills for gainful employment hence join the mass of the unemployed and under-employed. This then contributes to the emergence of slums and informal settlements which are not planned, lacking basic urban services as well as security of tenure, since they cannot afford formal housing. He noted that 60% of the 6.3m urban population lives in the slums and informal settlements. Existing Status: Uganda has put in place a national slum upgrading strategy which seeks to improve the living conditions in the existing slum settlements Mr. Sam Mabala while at the same time halt any mushrooming of

18 new slums or further expansion of the existing ones. It also has a national land use policy in place and it is in process of developing the national urban policy, the national housing policy, and the national land policy. With regard to the laws, The Constitution of the Republic of Uganda reformed the land tenure system and provided that land in Uganda belongs to the citizens of Uganda to be held under four tenure systems: the Freehold, the leasehold, the “Mailo”(private freehold) and Customary tenure. This was operationalized in the Land Act. It also repealed the Town and Country Planning Act and replaced it with the Physical Planning Act which among others declared the whole country as a planning area. Mr Mabala explained Uganda has in the past implemented four slum upgrading projects in Namuwongo in Kampala; Masese in Jinja; Malukhu in Mbale, and Oli in Arua. However, these have not been sustainable as some of the beneficiaries ended up selling off their interests. The lessons learnt from the previous informal settlement upgrading programs informed the design of the secondary cities program for transforming settlements of the urban poor in Uganda. Vision: Uganda desires to realize cities and towns without slums and informal settlements by getting rid of slums without getting rid of slum dwellers. Strategy: To achieve the above vision, the National Slum Upgrading strategy has been developed; this strategy spells out measures to prevent any further mushrooming of slums and to improve the current informal settlements. The strategy also has an action plan which outlines specific programs, projects and activities to be implemented in order to realize the vision. One of the programs being implemented is the Secondary Cities Program for transforming settlements of the urban poor in Uganda (TSUPU). TSUPU is being implemented with support from Cities Alliance and the Government. Its design was based on the following principles: multi-stakeholder participation and integrated planning, promoting community spirit and empowerment, investment alignment, public private people partnership, skills alignment, city wide coverage, networking with the universities and communities, and sustainability. Under the TSUPU program, at the national level, a national urban policy will be developed to guide the urbanization process and enhance management of urban growth. Besides, a national urban campaign will be undertaken to sensitize the stakeholders about their roles and responsibilities in urban development and management. Furthermore, the urban indicators database will be maintained for purposes of monitoring performance of the cities. In addition, a national urban forum has been established as a platform for dialogue and participation of stakeholders to influence policy and legal reform. At the city/municipal level, municipal development strategies will be developed to guide the long term development agenda in the respective Municipalities. Municipal developments forums have also been established to facilitate stakeholder participation in the planning and management of the Municipalities. The Capacities of the Municipalities will also be strengthened. Community upgrading fund has also been created to support implementation of community infrastructure projects in slums and informal settlements. At the Community level, the slum dwellers have been mobilized into slum dwellers Federations where members are encouraged to save their incomes on a daily basis. Their capacities are being built through training and exchange visits. They are involved in household enumerations to generate information for planning purposes. It is envisaged the communities will partner with the land owners, private investor, Urban Local Governments to implement slum redevelopment programs through land sharing. With all these in place for sustainable informal settlement upgrading, the government has forged partnerships with the Urban Authorities Association of Uganda, the Slum Dwellers Federations, the Support NGO – Actogether, the Universities, and the Media.

19 It is clear that informal settlements and slums are an outward symptom or manifestation of urban poverty attributed to: inappropriate policy, legal and regulatory framework; dysfunctional land markets; unresponsive financial systems; corruption; lack of political will and above all bad governance. A more sustainable upgrading strategy must therefore recognize the above factors and address them with the commitment of all stakeholders. The need to ensure good governance in terms of political, economic and administrative dimensions is critical in building adequate capacity to effectively plan, implement, and manage urban development ona citywide scale to realize sustainable transformation. 2.2.3 Rwanda Housing Authority – Ministry of Infrastructure (Rwanda) – Mr. Edward Kyazze In his presentation Mr. Kyazze noted that the emergence of informal settlements in Rwanda was as a result of high rate of urbanization coupled with un-matching basic infrastructure provision, lack of urban planning tools and lack of proper institutional framework. In the past Government of Rwanda (GoR) demolished informal settlements in the urban areas for better housing and other improved developments. This practice was not sustainable as community lost cohesion and more informal settlements would re-emerge. The government had Mr. Edward Kyazze then, to develop measures to upgrade as a solution. Currently, informal settlements being demolished are those in vulnerable areas e.g. environmentally unsafe areas prone to landslides and flooding. But still how sustainable is it? The government together with development partners has over the past few years intervened in informal settlement upgrading and some of the substantial projects undertaken include; Urban Infrastructure and City Management Project (PIGU) in 6 Districts (June 2006 – Dec. 2009), which involved mainly in the improvement of infrastructure, amenities and services and, Informal Settlements Upgrading in Western Province Project (AQUPO) in 2 Districts (July 2008 – Dec.2012), which was involved in the improvement of access to potable water, rain water drainage, road and access routes upgrading and construction of commercial facilities in fish and vegetable storage centres. Currently, there is a substantial amount of funding always allocated in the national budget towards informal settlement upgrading in different municipalities. The government has also introduced budget allocations towards sites servicing of new human settlements prior to physical developments in a bid to avoid other new spontaneous informal settlements. On humanitarian grounds, though the strategy is still in its inception, the GoR is innovatively planning for a community-based sweep campaign towards informal settlements upgrading (as was the case for Bye-bye Grass-thatched houses). In the bye-bye grass thatched houses initiative, the government donated iron sheets and the local citizens; the army, the police and youths provided the entire labour and took part in rebuilding of grass-thatched houses to iron sheet houses. It is evident that informal settlements constitute the biggest part and population of Rwanda’s urban areas and the dwellers do contribute substantially towards the urban economies and hence a considerable amount of GDP. As such the GoR and even other governments in the region need to take comprehensively studied and dedicated initiatives to save and improve these human settlements if socially integrated and inclusive urbanization for economic development is to be achieved.

20 Most importantly to note in conclusion is that upgrading of existing informal settlements will only be sustainable if simultaneous measures against future informal urban growth are implemented so that all settlements will eventually meet some standard of living conditions.

2.2.4 Question and Answer

Questions asked under this panel included: 1. To what extent have you captured the socio-economic aspects of the people when transforming the informal settlements? (Kenya) 2. You have said that the then slum upgrading project is covering all urban centers yet your examples were dominantly in Soweto East, could you give us more examples? (Kenya) 3. What criteria have been used to ensure that the eradication of the grass thatched houses does not have grave environmental consequences? (Rwanda) 4. Are the people of Mathare part of the upgrading plan? (Kenya) 5. Could the Kenyan government please address the issue of relocating slum dwellers due to upgrading? 6. Could Rwanda and Uganda tell us what they are doing so that the slum dwellers are not displaced? 7. Development control is hard in slum upgrading. How are you in Rwanda monitoring building capacity at the grass root level? 8. Since you are eliminating grass thatched houses, how will you prevent floods since they act as water catchment areas? (Rwanda) 9. Is KISIP making KENSUP better? Are they complementing each other or competing? 10. Slums fall under three categories; those on government land, those on riparian reserves and those on private land. More efforts is concentrated on the Government land, could you tell us what strategies are being used to upgrade those on the non- government land? 11. What is Rwanda doing to ensure that the up-scaling program is sustainable as it is government oriented and how do you empower the people? 12. KENSUP has done a lot of projects. Who are the beneficiaries of the improved settlements? The panelists in this session gave the following responses; Leah Muraguri “We have various approaches to slum upgrading that were developed after so many consultations and they not only concentrate on housing but also on other strategic interventions like socio-economic approaches. KENSUP is not only about Kibera, Kibera is only a minute part of it. We believe that if we succeed in Kibera, we will succeed elsewhere. We have had 41 projects and completed 29 of them. In Mathare, we have started the upgrading on one side but we are still far off from completion. We have started with community integration so that the community is on board with the idea. Displacing of the poor is a challenge but we need to work together in order to eliminate the problem in spite of it being a governance issue”

21 Edward Kyazze “Grass thatched houses are cool and environmental friendly. However looking at the socio-economic place of the people; we need to move them from one level to another. To ensure that we are environmentally conscious, we have Villagisation in Rwanda where we have divided land for different purposes, i.e. agricultural land is not to be used for physical development. Capacity building is done through sensitization campaigns so that the people participate in the development process. For example, we used human resource to construct the roofed houses; the National Police, the youths and the Rwandese in the Diaspora and the government were involved. Those in the Diaspora contributed through finances where we had the one-dollar campaign, the youths helped in the manual labour whereas the government allocated some funds. Sensitization was also done so as to change the people’s mindsets. The government has allocated funds to the district one-stop centers, these funds partly help in educating people at the lowest levels so that they have an idea of process, in this way, it becomes a community initiative. We do not see the up-scaling program as a government initiative rather we see it as a national initiative and that is why we have the capacity building programs. We empower the people by using community based approaches, for example, the one cow one family project so that they have a sense of ownership. Development is viewed in these ways; physical development, economic transformation, good governance and youth and employment. To control it, we use the only language that all of us understand; Kinyarwanda and disseminate information through the radio which is fast. We also have an accountable government that propels the project”. Dr. Majale “Urbanization is a process. What we have done is to enhance the income of the people living in the informal settlements by giving them loans, convincing them to join federations and helping them to save. We also have adopted the vertical development concept whereby we build the commercial houses ground floor and the living quarters above them, in this way, somebody gets to work where they live. With regards to displacement of the informal settlement dwellers, we are still using the income enhancing technique as an entry point so that instead of the government buying land, planning and servicing it then selling it out to them, we wait till they can afford it. We have also sensitized communities on the benefits of housing co-operatives”. Teresia Munyua “KISIP deals with the physical infrastructure and land regularization whereas KENSUP deals with the social infrastructure thus they do not compete, they complement each other”.

22 2.3 Community Initiatives in Informal Settlement Upgrading 2.3.1 Centre for Community Initiative in Tanzania – Ms. Mwanakombo Mkanga The Centre for Community Initiatives, Tanzania is a partner of Homeless International and started in 2004. They strongly believe that sustainable upgrading of informal settlement should be possible if the community is empowered and also is highly involved in finding solutions.

Some of the initiatives they have undertaken with community are in the areas of housing and land sector; community mobilization, saving, buying land and building. In community mobilization; CCI Ms. M. Mkanga mobilizes the community to form community saving schemes and credit groups. These groups act as the basis for communities to plan and negotiate slum improvement schemes, helping them to tackle the problems associated with living in slums. With the savings they can access loans and improve their living conditions. They also empower them through exchange programs where community members learn from other cases around the world. CCI does priority setting and has worked closely with the community facing eviction. It organizes them to start saving to acquire land and also formed housing cooperatives which is responsible to manage the land. To accommodate people in a given land it leads negotiation with the government on set standards especially the minimal plot size. It has managed to have lower standards set for plot sizes from the standard 400m2 to current146m2 in the informal settlement.

Plate 6 Community making Construction Material at Chamazi Project in Tanzania

It has also partnered with the private sector and government in capacity building for the residents in training sessions on production of building/ construction materials; the interlocking bricks and sisal fiber tiles for roofing, and also on construction of houses. The materials used are readily available hence affordable, community labour is employed thus the involvement of the beneficiaries at all levels.

23 Plate 7 Complete houses at Chamazi Community Based Housing Scheme in Tanzania

CCI expects the government to take up this community house – building initiative as a priority to address housing challenges and to control/ prevent new informal settlement emergence as a result of eviction. The main roles of CCI are: advocacy of the community to the government; and facilitating loaning from microfinance institutions and funding from donors to fund slum improvement schemes

Lessons learnt: Capacity building is a long process and to improve informal settlement, investment in capacity building is of essence; Most upgrading projects are costly and hence, need for government, civil, private and community to pull resources; lastly, not least, there is need to involve the beneficiaries/ community instead of contractors in government financed informal settlement upgrade. For sustainable slum upgrading a country requires to: use a holistic approach in settlement upgrading; have political good will; build improved technical capacity in the communities; involve the community in the planning and upgrading their neighborhood.

2.3.2 Umande Trust - Ms. Joyce Wambui In her presentation Ms. Joyce Wambui explained the focus of Umande Trust in the informal settlements. They focus on provision of better sanitation within the informal settlement by use of bio- centers. In the earlier models the bio-centre’s provided housing sanitation facilities; social centers e.g. community centers and offices spaces to let. Currently they have improved bio-centers which provide link to other plot sanitation blocks with the centre acting as a mini treatment plant and providing its earlier services to the residents; social centers, offices and sanitation facilities e.g. Ms. Joyce Wambui Kigabale Model in Kangemi.

24 Plate 8 A bio-centre structure and an operational bio centre in the informal settlement

Umande Trust’s bio-centre technology focuses in the following areas for better community development and improvement; provision for better sanitation, energy provision bio-gas provision, solar energy provision for lighting, waste water management, urban planning and promotion of bio sanitation financing.

- Energy provision: the other focus is on the production of energy. The technology uses on the human waste to produce bio gas and fertilizer. The gas is packaged in containers and used to cook food, reducing the cost of energy incurred by these residents and fertilizers used in urban agriculture.

- Solar Energy: the other focus is on solar energy production. The bio-centers are fitted with solar panels, the centers use the solar energy and operate till late at night and open early morning and people can use as they go to work.

- Waste Water Management: use of the bio slug, an end product from the bio digester process to make fertilizer used in urban agriculture.

- Urban planning: by providing these sanitation blocks; they improve the access to sanitation in these informal settlements, water accessibility is also considered, the social centre/ community centres promote the wellbeing and the office spaces provide areas economic activities, the bio slug make fertilizers for urban agriculture and solar lighting improve safety.

- Bio sanitation financing: Umande Trust works with the community to organize them either in daily savings and SACCOs. This also enables them to access funds e.g. Sanitation Development Fund (SADEF) to improve their environment and living standards.

In conclusion, it is true that all poor people aspire to live in better environment with better infrastructure. The provision of basic infrastructure facilities in the informal settlements translate in spatial development and thus the communities can make it to improve their livelihoods.

25 2.3.3 Practical Action - Paul Chege According to Mr. Chege the major challenge facing informal settlement is the increasing urban poverty. Indicators have shown that currently there are poorer people living in the urban areas than in the past and that other indicators like health issues are worse off in the urban areas than in the rural areas because of the inadequate service provision in these informal settlements.

Paul Chege Some experiences and lessons he shared include: - Use of community participation:

Practical Action works together with the community in participatory planning in neighborhood and ward planning; these experiences are then mainstreamed in municipal planning processes. In the process the community is able to prioritize projects within their neighborhoods. - Use of affordable and Pro-poor technologies; They work within 3 thematic areas Water, Sanitation and Solid waste management. In solid waste management they train community on usage of technology to produce fertilizers. The other stage is engaging the service providers the local authorities to formalize these local solid waste enterprises as a way to improve their livelihood. In sanitation the challenge is on space, access to sanitation the model PA is using is plot based sanitation, the community based sanitation have been expensive to the users, in most cases they cost more than the rent per month per household. In the plot based sanitation they are working with the tenants and landlords to ensure that these services is available in every plot, slug management as a business opportunity and hence develop technologies that will ensure small scale waste providers are able to service these sanitation facilities while at the same time earning an income - Financing; by this they are trying to see how they can package water, sanitation or waste management services as bankable services or investments where banks and other micro financing institutions can be able to finance e.g. worked with family bank in Nakuru and have established business enterprises financed by the bank with affordable loans. - Policy and practice; Need to work with lead agencies like the government on policies that are pro-poor and also addressing the issue of practice, because by introducing all the above mentioned success can only be realized by working with the duty bearers to ensure all are adapted and used. Mr. Chege indicated that through all these initiatives it is possible to achieve sustainable informal settlement Upgrading.

26 2.3.4 Muungano Support Trust Kenya - Ms. Irene Karanja Muungano Support Trust (MuST), an affiliate of Slum/Shack Dwellers International (SDI) is a local trust based in Kenya, that works with networks of communities living in informal settlements/ slums to contribute to, own and sustain their investments consequently, improving their livelihood. To achieve this, MuST facilitates residents in these settlements to reflect on their neighborhoods, dream about how to improve their settlements through the development of scenarios and settlement plans which are shared with local authorities for the delivery of basic services. The networks of residents living in Ms. Irene Karanja informal settlements form a national federation of slum dwellers called Muungano wa Wanavijiji. It is against this background that various achievements have been made; e.g. the recently launched Mathare Zonal Plan is an output of poor people living in Mathare valley through the facilitation of MuST in partnership with University of Nairobi, Department of Urban and Regional Planning and University of California, Berkeley, and Slum/Shack Dwellers International (SDI). The Mathare Zonal Plan is therefore the reflections of the residents living in Mathare. The development of Mathare zonal plan is an innovation in the slum upgrading discourse. It is a process of planning and upgrading that is embedded on the community strengths and assets, such as multiple community networks, dynamic relationships internally and externally, checks and balances in the governance structures that exists such as civic leaders, political leaders, public stakeholders such as informal and formal institutions such as schools, faith based organizations, health based organizations, utility organizations such as Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company, Kenya Power Company and strong settlement visions. The zonal plan places emphasis on infrastructure upgrading as the immediate entry point to addressing other related issues such as tenure and governance. Mathare Valley of slums is constituted of 13 slum settlements that are home to over 20,000 families. With a population of up to 80,000 people living on 1Km2 an average of 262 people depend on one toilet alone. High occurrence of open defecation and open sewers places immense pressure on the health of residents of the valley. Poor health subsequently affects the ability of adults to work and children fail to go to school. The journey of the development of the Mathare Zonal Plan, involved reflection meetings with various stakeholders; residents of the 13 villages in the valley including various community networks spread across the 1km2 parcel of land, over 100 stakeholders (CBO’s, faith based institutions, local NGO’s etc), University of Nairobi and University of California, Berkeley, Local government, local administration and service providers, International Partners such as SDI (Slum/Shack Dwellers international), the Rockefeller Foundation, Ford Foundation, and SIDA. Looking at infrastructure provision as fundamental to slum upgrading and human safety, MuST acknowledges the need for new paradigms of planning that respond to structural poverty which is in itself a threat to human life; innovate new approaches to planning; planning guidelines and standards that provide measures for planning for large populations of people within small parcels of land in the cities and urban towns. MuST is currently working with the local universities to persuade the planning discourse and the Government to set standards that are realistic to the current incomes and densities in the informal settlements in the cities. During this five year period of the Mathare community planning process, many community members have been involved in local and international peer exchanges with other poor people living in similar circumstances. SDI has facilitated these exchanges. When poor people interact with the challenges of other poor people elsewhere, a shift happens; they suggest solutions to

27 those whom they are visiting. But essentially, they are developing their own solutions for their own settlements. How will the Mathare residents measure the success of the Mathare Zonal Plan?

The lessons from half-a-decade of preparing a zonal plan or a slum upgrading strategy with a dynamic constituency such as Mathare, is similar to what we have learnt from the Asian poor alliance: Who decides what the poor need, or what is useful to them? How do we kick out that OLD tradition which excludes the poor from participating and spark off a process in which the poor are the creators of development which affects them? These are tough questions for those who want to build and support real participation and a real community process. The indicators that will measure the impacts of this process are and not limited to: - Safer drinking water, better access to water and affordable water in Mathare - Improved health and reduced mortality for both adults and children as a result of infrastructure investments made by the Government that will reduce infections. - Improved livelihoods due to multiple factors including that of healthier population that is able to actively engage in livelihood opportunities. - Improved performance in schools because inhibitions affect the academic performance of children in Mathare will be reduced - Increased food security as a result of an improved access by all households to food markets in the settlement, creation of idle spaces into food growing pockets, access to better livelihoods or savings as a result of affordable basic services - Improved social relations and reduced crime and domestic wars as a result of improved infrastructure that will influence the reduction of contentious spaces. - A paradigm shift in the management of knowledge on slum upgrading. After five years of a community planning process, the residents of Mathare will guide and lead the slum upgrading discourse by teaching us how planning and management occurs in the urban arena. It follows therefore, that when communities of the poor are assured of security of tenure (absence of any threats to evictions) their own aspirations, which are well articulated in their minds and their hearts, coupled with the willingness by the state to improve their environments, safe and live-able human settlements can be achieved.

2.3.5 Actogether, Uganda - Sarah Ibanda In Uganda the informal settlement/slum upgrading is guided by the National Slum Upgrading Strategy and Action Plan for Uganda which was developed in 2008. The strategy was designed as a direct response to Target 11 of MDG 7 which recognizes that slums are a development issue, which needs to be faced and this calls for coordinated policies and actions related to slum-upgrading. It also articulates the commitment of member states to improve the lives of at least 100 million slum dwellers by the year 2020. The strategy provides a framework, direction and plan to all stakeholders Ms. Sarah Ibanda including Local Governments, Urban Authorities, NGO’s, CBO’s etc, so that each stakeholder can individually contribute towards achieving the target i.e. uplifting the lives of at least one million people by the year 2020.

28 Cities with Slums Action Plan defines slum upgrading as economic, organizational and environmental improvements undertaken cooperatively and locally among citizens, community groups, businesses and local authorities. Actions taken typically include: installing or improving basic infrastructure; water reticulation, sanitation/waste collection, rehabilitation of circulation, storm drainage and flood prevention, electricity, security lighting and public telephones. Upgrading or slum improvement as it is also called in low income urban communities is many things, but at its simplest it has come to mean provision of a package of basic services: clean water supply and adequate sewage disposal to improve the well-being of the community. But fundamental is legalizing and ‘regularizing the properties in situations of insecure or unclear tenure. Slum upgrading approaches in Uganda include a participatory approach, partnerships between Government, private sector and civil society and communities. Government initiated programs include - - TSUPU (Transforming Settlement of the Urban Poor in Uganda) aims at building capacity of Government and urban poor communities to manage urban growth. It also promotes initiatives to develop inclusive, pro-poor urban development policies. Under TSUPU, there is the creation of Community Development Funds to help communities undertake small projects to improve their quality of lives and the promotion of National, Local and Community Approach through the Municipal Urban Forums launched in May 2010 as a permanent platform for all Uganda’s stakeholders in urban sector to discuss the challenges and opportunities to address the country’s rapid urbanization - The Uganda Government, through the Department of Human Settlements, in collaboration with Slum Dwellers International (SDI started in 2003 a Slum Upgrading Program (SUP) in 3 parishes in the Central Division of Kampala City (Kisenyi I, Kisenyi II and Kisenyi III) and 6 other slums in Jinja Municipality . The SUP is comprised of the following major components, mobilizing slum dwellers into savings groups, slum profiling, household surveys, exchange programmes and developing infrastructure services among others. It was implemented in Kisenyi, Kampala, where a Sanitation/ Community Hall was constructed. - Land Sharing strategy/concept and Public Private People Partnership (PPPP) approaches. This concept is proposed for the redevelopment in Kisenyi III, Kampala and will be adopted for the re-development of Kireka slum on a land owned by National Housing and Construction Corporation Limited. This is a way of preventing eviction and relocation which tends to destroy the rich and intricate networks that communities have established over decades but agreement for land sharing has the potential to preserve them while also availing land to private interests. A tri-partite deal is formulated whereby the slum dwellers and local community, the landowner and a developer would share the land. This is considered a winning strategy for both developer and squatter or structure owner. For the developer, prime land is made available through negotiation, rather than messy eviction. For the landowner, who is currently unable to reap much benefit from his land owing to the high population of squatters, a secure piece of land, a new high-quality residential structure, and upgraded infrastructure will all ensure his/her asset appreciates dramatically. NGO’s responsibilities in such initiatives include: support to community-led savings and loan groups; community mobilization, sensitization and training; organizing house model

29 exhibitions; engage slum dwellers in slum upgrading pilot projects; advocating for the rights and voice of the urban poor; Management and accountability of funds and grants from donors; provision of technical support especially with profiling, enumeration and mapping mainly through coordination; arrange for both local and international peer to peer exchanges and fundraising for settlement upgrading ventures. Communities are organized around saving groups as regular and stable incomes are critical for the informal settlement upgrading. From saving group to regional level, there are 7 committees dealing with various issues such as:

- Health and hygiene committee - to help members understand the importance of health and hygiene in their homes Loan Committee, which oversees all loans and trains community to manage their own funds system.

- Audit Committee which checks into the savings books right from the savers book, collectors and treasurer so as to safeguard members’ savings.

- Savings Committee which mobilizes other members of the community into saving schemes and train on the importance of saving.

- Exchange/Knowledge Management Committee so members can learn from one another, exchange ideas, knowledge and skills on how to take initiatives to improve their lives as the urban poor.

- Negotiation Committee, which works/negotiates with the government on behalf of the savings group

- Construction committee which basically assists slum dwellers design housing and infrastructural facilities in ways that best respond to their needs and financial capacities

Some of the challenges identified in Ms Sarah’s presentation include :

- Many savers with low incomes which makes it difficult to realize saving targets

- Multiple land rights (in most cases the owner is not known to the tenants)

- Very high mobility of the urban poor communities makes it difficult to organize them for upgrading activities

- Leadership wrangles due to failure of putting in place elected people arising in accountability issues.

- Political influence and changes in leadership tends to affect and delay informal settlement upgrading

Some of the lessons learned from Uganda include:

- It is important to clarify and understand the roles of the different partners to avoid misunderstandings and conflicts of interest.

30 - Difficulties to harmonizing the expectations of different stakeholders with different interests.

- It is a learning-by-doing exercise which requires patience, high emphasis on community training and sensitization.

- It is important to bring the Governments on board so as to endorse and use the information gathered by the federation during the profiling and enumeration in their planning process.

In her conclusion, Ms Ibanda said that the entry point of formation of saving groups is aimed at empowering communities economically. At the same time it builds trust among members to discuss several issues related to improving their standard of living. Effective approaches to slum upgrading must go beyond addressing the specific problems of slums but must deal with underlying causes of urban poverty. Participation of urban poor communities and the women involvement is critical for informal settlement upgrading.

2.3.6 Pamoja Trust (Participatory Slum Upgrading) –Arch. Joseph Mukeku As the urban population continues to grow, so does the population of people living in the slums hence, emergence of slums. In Nairobi for instance, 60% of its 3 million population is housed in the informal settlements i.e. slums. Over the past the government through the responsible institutions have had initiatives set to address challenges of informal settlements; they includes: slum clearance/ slum eradication approach, provision of services on plots; the site and service schemes, came the regularization of informal settlement with relaxed laws, provision of enabling environment for private sector to participate in housing provision, and recently Arch. Joseph Mukeku slum upgrading. In his presentation Arch. Mukeku noted that with all these past initiatives in place, none of these approaches adequately dealt with the challenge of slum settlements. The initiatives have failed to resonate with the real needs of the slum residents hence causing gentrification, conflicts and missed priorities. He noted that, there is need for a change in approach to a more integrated holistic and participatory methods, notably one of these approaches is the Participatory Slum Upgrading Model being used by Pamoja Trust in addressing land, basic facilities and shelter access issues in urban poor environment i.e. slums Participatory Slum Upgrading Model This model approaches upgrading of informal settlements as a right for the urban poor. It is argued that every urban resident including the urban poor have right to decent and affordable housing. Slums have often been perceived as the antithesis of the mainstream urban setting. It is common to hear slums being described as characterized by ‘lack of’ adequate water, ‘absence of secure tenure’ which are usually pegged on realities from mainstream urban setting. In addition, a lot of the perceived shortfalls in the slums are based on such assessor’s sensual experiences like what we can see or smell often supplemented with statistical and empirical data. Hardly, is there sufficient account of the direct experiences of the residents themselves. Upgrading initiatives have followed cue and attempted to reverse these shortcomings to convert slums in to the mainstream and address these sensually adduced inadequacies. While slum upgrading has in the past mainly tended to address the physical conditions of the said

31 settlements, there is need to appreciate that the main premium in upgrading should be vested on the humanity therein. Hence a need to constantly identify the human face behind any slum upgrading initiative. In this regard, slum upgrading becomes a pursuit to uphold humanity; restitute the human rights that had been denied thereof. We then look at such upgrading initiatives as an undertaking towards attaining the right to water, the right to adequate housing etc. According to Arch. Mukeku this model incorporates community participation at all levels. Below is a brief outline of the different stages that constitute this participatory slum upgrading model. 1. Community Mobilization - social mobilization – This entails the consolidation of the social capital that characterizes many slum settlements. Indeed many slum residents exhibit immense social good will and are receptive to constructive discussion that would facilitate the betterment of their settlement. During this phase, slum residents are encouraged to form groups that become a focal point for launching discussions on upgrading. This also harnesses substantial mass for any advocacy function that may need to be undertaken to clear bureaucratic obstacles during the upgrading. 2. Financial mobilization – the process of upgrading requires financial resource input, part of which is borne by the slum residents. This activity entails coming up with saving schemes that provide an opportunity for slum residents to save part of their earnings for upgrading purposes. Such saving is usually simplified, and often undertaken on a daily basis. Such saving becomes a community based financial mediation facility that allows members to make borrowings for emergencies and investments while still retaining a focus on harnessing enough funds for meeting upgrading costs. 3. Confirmation of land tenure –Slums usually exist on land whose tenure status is not definite. It is common to find slums situated in such areas as undeveloped individually owned lands, utility way leaves, public purpose land or even ecologically fragile areas. It has thus been necessary to establish where slums programmed for upgrading are located. At times, this has called for negotiation with the entities involved in the ownership in a bid to seek allocation of the land for upgrading purposes. Part of these negotiations on land has also entailed having the urban authorities relax some of the stringent land development requirements that would otherwise be unachievable for slum upgrading. 4. Mapping out socio-economic and physical data –This aims at getting a baseline database on the residents’ demographics, their social structure, economic conditions, the physical conditions of the settlement and the state of infrastructure. This information is crucial for proper needs assessment for upgrading and also for identifying the available resources and the likely gaps that would require external financial mediation during upgrading. It also helps in identifying the real beneficiaries of the program to avoid an influx of opportunists when the upgrading is actualized. 5. Community design and Planning –The activity of community design and planning seeks to bring to the fore the priorities of the communities with regards to their overall upgrading needs. This is undertaken in a participatory manner where the community members engage with design professional to provide their views on how the envisioned upgrading should be undertaken. This takes into account the available resources such as land, social capital and the community’s income potentials. The design professional mediate between the raw aspirations of the community and the sound technical possibilities. Ultimately, the final versions of these solutions are presented to the urban authorities for approval. The solutions are also tied to a financial plan that takes in to account the savings harnessed by the community and any available bridge financing from donors. Such bridge financing has often been handled as revolving funds that are given out as loans on soft terms basis.

32 6. Implementation – The implementation of the upgrading projects has incorporated the participation of the communities in all aspects including planning, budgeting, onsite management and actual construction works. In all these, there is constant interaction between the community and the respective design professionals in order to ensure that the resultant works meet expected standards. The implementation takes into account the different realities of slums such as low and inconsistent earnings. For this, the implementation is phased out and incremental to ensure that the communities can begin to derive initial benefits from upgrading commensurate with their current status of earning while providing room for more upgrading as additional income is gotten. The construction technology is based on manual labor as the process relies on community members to provide such, usually with some advance training to sharpen their skills. 7. Post implementation – Beyond implementation, the management of the upgrading is vested in the hands of the community. They are organized into clusters that become a basis for management units for such activities as ensuring outdoor cleanliness, occasional repairs and ensuring community cohesiveness in the upgraded settings. This is also tasked with ensuring that any benefits accruing from the upgrading are shared out equally among all the community members. Question and Answer Questions in this panel included: 1. We have models addressing the same issues. To what extent do they come together as a group or are they addressed as splintered endeavors? 2. How viable is the availability and affordability of land to the informal settlement dwellers? 3. In Uganda, there are forums where the communities come together. The projects are privatized in which they are funded by the local authorities. Are the communities in Uganda that organized that they are able to push for a common law? Are the authorities in Uganda accountable to the communities? 4. Where do the NGOs converge as they work predominantly on the same settlements and have the same concerns?

Answers advanced by the panelists are; Ms. Sarah Ibanda “Communities in Uganda are organized into seven groups, these communities save daily. The forum has many stakeholders like the private sector, NGOs, religious bodies, the CBOs and the academia. The funding is done by the community and the Municipal council, however most funds are from the World Bank as the forum is still young”. Mr. Paul Chege “The role of NGOs on development work is complex. The NGO’s role is to provide innovative ideas that can be mainstreamed. The resources we work with are small compared to those in a government department. Our role is to provide workable solutions and influence change. Through the projects we have, we get to learn the different approaches. We partner with other NGOs and service providers. In partnering with service providers, we are able to have more resources”. Dr. Ndezi “We have tried to bring different groups together, we try to change the mindsets especially the government. Through the Slum Dwellers Network, we have exchange programs in varied countries. About land affordability and availability, the resettlement by the

33 government did not work out at first because the government wanted the community to buy the land valued at 145 million. We organized the community who in turn contributed 80,000 shillings and were able to buy out 30,000ha of land. Also, we looked at the different players so as to ease the cost and give the land real value. We worked with the Municipal council to survey the land. The City Council provided planning services while the ministry offered title deed”. Ms. Irene Karanja “As long as a process has life, there is participation at different levels. For example, everybody will be involved in the capacity building level until it reaches a level of compromise where some us are needed. In here, participation begins to change for those not involved. We may not converge at the same time or place but we converge in ideas, at the same level or places where we need each other’s assistance”.

34 PART THREE: NEW OPPORTUNITIES PRESENTED BY NATIONAL CONSTITUTIONS AND POLICIES FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF INFORMAL SETTLEMENT UPGRADING

Another topic covered during the daylong conference touched on the opportunities presented by new constitutions and policies of participating governments in the implementation of informal settlement upgrading initiatives. This session was moderated by Prof. Tom Anyamba, Dean School of the Built Environment, University of Nairobi. The panelists in this session were; 1. Ms Jane Weru, Director Akiba Mashinani Trust, Kenya 2. Mr. Thomas Ogutu, Ministry of Housing , Kenya 3. Mr. Patrick Adolwa, Urban Development Department, Kenya 4. Ms. Miriam Maina, University of Witwatersrand, South Africa 5. Dr. Silas Shemdoe, Lecturer Arthi University, Tanzania 6. Ms. Emiliy Wangari, Muungano wa Wanavijiji, Kenya

3.1 Legal Rights for Informal Settlements - Jane Weru In her presentation, Ms. Jane Weru, indicated that the Kenyan Constitution has been fair enough in its consideration of the housing sector especially regarding informal settlements. She pointed out that key principles underlined in this Constitution and related to access to housing are equitable access to land, security of land rights, and ensuring that the land is used in a productive and sustainable manner. The Lands Commission Act, the Land Registration Act and the Land Act complement these principles. Land in informal settlements and any other uncontested public land that is suitable for human habitation could be allocated for Ms. Jane Weru informal settlement upgrading initiatives. Moreover, the Land Act 2012 provides that public land may be allocated to a group to alleviate poverty. However, she noted that this may not be automatic, that such land could also be allocated for other uses such as investment, and education etc. she thus advised that all stakeholders must push for allocation of public land to informal settlements. Such land should first and foremost be reserved and planned. On eviction, she noted that there is an Eviction Act, currently a Bill, which will give a framework for evictions in Kenya. Land on riparian reserves can be conserved by the government giving adequate notice to occupants while contested land can be acquired as per the provisions in the Land Act 2012 which makes provision for land compensations fund. To increase the pool of land available for informal settlement upgrading, she advised that private land which is not developed should revert to the state. She thus underscored the need

35 for identification and planning of such land. The difficulty of acquiring such land and even those under municipalities (trust land) was noted. For example, it was noted that due to the fact that most, if not all, informal settlements fall within boundaries of municipalities and therefore land under their jurisdiction, they thus have to give consent for such land to be allocated to informal settlement upgrading.

3.2 Ministry Housing, Kenya - Mr. Thomas Ogutu In respect to housing policies in Kenya, the issues cutting across include: inclusion of the private sector, the comprehension of the policies and the effectiveness of the participatory methods in use. Mr. Thomas Ogutu pointed out that a number of these policies have been developed overtime but noted that unaffordable housing, high interest bank rates, the slow implementation of the Constitution and weak public-private partnerships were among factors stalling the housing upgrading initiatives. He suggested that the county Mr. Thomas Ogutu equalization funds could be appropriated for slum upgrading. There is also need to align the housing policy with the Constitution. He noted that policy documents are at times not well understood. They give guidelines based on national consensus, they are instruments used to galvanize national issues and that they are important in bringing in consensus. Housing should be looked at as a process leading to a product. Mr. Ogutu stressed that the National Housing Policy may to be supplemented by other related policies on land, planning, housing finance etc. Policy is multifaceted. Kenya’s housing policy, he said, has evolved from the colonial era, and that the national housing policy has also been influenced by international actors e.g. structural adjustment programmes advocated by World Bank in the 1980’s. He noted that during the era of liberalization the government became aloof and planning standards were lowered. He emphasized that issues of increased urbanization should be carefully considered as it is straining urban housing demand. There is thus need to review the National Housing Policy (Sessional Paper Number 3 of 2004). In this review, he noted the following; - The need for participatory housing policy approach - That a review of building materials and standards is critical - Need to address employer employee housing provision - Need to still identify outstanding challenges - Enhanced framework for affordable housing - Installation of critical infrastructure in informal settlements Mr Ogutu stated that building standards need to be reviewed in a manner that facilitates various upgrading options. Currently the revised building code is awaiting gazettment. There is need to identify outstanding challenges such as political manipulation of the population that live in informal settlements. In addition, there is need to address macro-economic impacts on housing, and the need to take advantage of the equalization fund in giving opportunity to slum upgrading.

36 3.3 Urban Development Policy in Kenya - Mr. Patrick Adolwa Mr. Adolwa stated that urban development is a newly emerging concern in Kenya. The future is definitely urban and growing rapidly. Complex urban problems create a need to guide urban development. He said that currently there is a draft urban policy to give guidance to urban development awaiting parliament approval. Some areas the bills looks at include: - Dimensions and benefits of urban areas. Mr. Patrick Adolwa - Status and impact of urban development in Kenya. - National and county urban planning guidelines - Urban housing – rights to urban housing – informal housing, - Urban safety and disaster management. - Citizen participation In Mr. Adolwa’s perspective, informal settlements are symptoms of things that needed to be done but were not done in the past regimes and that the future is a Kenya without slums. He advised that there is need for phasing out the informal settlements by the year 2030 through public-private partnerships especially in delivery of affordable housing.

3.4 Challenges in Policy Implementation Kenya - Ms. Miriam Maina Ms Maina’s presentation was in the form of pertinent questions from some key findings in her ongoing research. She noted that informal settlement is a complex phenomenon involving economic, political, social factors. Addressing this complexity needs an integrated approach. She stressed that we need to appreciate the problem to scale both through policy and action. Ms. Miriam Maina She noted that Kenyan policy already acknowledges the multidimensional nature of the problem, and seeks to address this. However, these goals of policy are yet to be translated into enforceable laws. Some of the questions raised in her presentation are: a. How can the intentions of policy be transformed into enforceable law? b. How can bottom up approaches be infused to planning and in the government driven policies? c. The same implementers are normally the same people creating policies, what are the best ways of separating these? d. How do we scale up these interventions such as KENSUP beyond individual programs?

3.5 Policy Initiatives for Informal Settlement Upgrading in Tanzania - Dr. Silas Shemdoe Dr. Shemdoe who is a Research Fellow at the Institute of Human Settlements Studies, Ardhi University, gave a presentation on Policy and Program Initiatives for Settlement Upgrading in Tanzania. He noted that majority of urban dwellers in Tanzania live in slums and mostly depends on informal business. In his presentation, he identified factors specific Dr. Silas Shemdoe

37 to informal settlements which he noted should be taken into consideration for any meaningful upgrading to be realized. He noted that people living in informal settlements: - Form the majority of urban dwellers - Depend on informal economy - Occupy land that they do not own - Depend on informal business - Rely on friends/relatives for loans

Some of the policy initiatives by the government of Tanzania in informal settlement upgrading identified in this presentation are: - Local/Municipal Government Council Act of 1982 – this Act directs the local/municipal governments to be responsible for service provision to the informal settlements. Such a legal provision opens a window of opportunity for informal settlement upgrading. - National Land policy of 1995/Human Settlements Development Policy 2000 – these policy documents prohibit removal of informal settlements and commit the government to upgrade them in a sustainable manner. - Formalization of informal sector under the Tanzania Property and business formalization – this was established in 2004 and was aimed at recognizing the informal sector and its contributions into formal economy. An example is housing license pilot project initiated in 2004 under three municipalities of Dar es Salaam. The housing license/ title of occupancy in informal settlement was aimed at allowing community in the informal settlement to have a right of ownership of their properties especially houses. Initially the housing licenses were valid for 2 years only but now extended to 5 years, the extension gives the community added benefits and the housing license can be used as collateral in acquisition of a loan. In conclusion, Dr. Shemdoe identified the following challenges, which must be addressed, as being obstacles to sustainable informal settlement upgrading policy in Tanzania: - Very few projects have been implemented since 1995 - Low budgetary allocation to the ministry for upgrading programs - Dependence of donor funding for such activities - Some of the areas where the pilot projects have been implemented are inaccessible areas - Poor recognition of the licenses by the financial institutions/facilities - Willingness of the community to use the licenses for loan processing is still very low - Communities perceive the project to be another source of taxes to the government

3.6 Youth and Gender Issues in Informal Settlements - Ms. Emily Wangari Ms Wangari from the Mathare Informal Settlement observed that there has been a lot of participation of the youth in mapping and enumerations as key inputs in informal settlement upgrading. However, it was noted that most of this work is left in the archives and seldom acted

38 Ms. Wangari Giving Her Presentation upon. In this regard, she noted that the government which is supposed to make use of such data never does so. She further noted that Zonal planning is the latest methodology used in informal settlement upgrading since it is easier to collect and use the data. In addition, Ms. Wangari said that the youth in the informal settlements are affected by issues of security of tenure, security, sanitation, and inaccessibility to sanitation facilities. Concerning gender, she noted that the placement and layouts of sanitary facilities within the informal settlements is not conducive especially for women who cannot access them especially at night due to security reasons.

3.7 Question and Answer Session During the question and answer session, the following questions were asked: a. When is it likely for East Africa to go beyond donor funded projects? b. As a policy issue, how do we attract the private sector? c. How come the national housing corporations of East Africa are not in represented in the conference? d. How are we addressing leadership issues? e. Are we going to adopt a free for all when it comes to private sector participation for example in Huruma? From the discussions ensuing from the above questions, the following responses were given: • A participant from one of the informal settlements in Nairobi noted political leaders at the constituency and lower level are less concerned about housing needs of the poor while the National Housing Corporation in Kenya serves the rich. • Dr. Shemdoe contributed to the debate by stating that we have to understand the true dynamics of slums and their pricing. “What are the incentives by which the private sector can be encouraged to invest in informal settlement?” To get out of donor support, we

39 need to be transparent to work together as communities and have good governance. At the same time he noted that the National Housing Corporation in Tanzania has good leadership.

• Mr. Thomas Ogutu observed that, first, informal settlements need to be provided for clean water, decent housing, roads among other basic facilities. Second, the site and service schemes of 1970-1980 had positive impact on housing provision but were dropped, since they were deemed ‘unsustainable’ by international bodies, with no alternatives. The schemes developed in 1970s e.g. Kayole and Dandora currently house the low income in Nairobi. On this point he warned against policies that deepen problems in the informal settlement other than address them. Lastly, he pointed at the need to package the slum upgrading process to incorporate the private sector if sustainable up scaling of informal settlement is to be achieved.

• Mr. Patrick Adolwa observed that “implementing policy on slums is complex. According to him it is possible to have no slums but there are those of us who make sure slums continue existing. We need to stop glorifying slums. Formation of slums can be stopped altogether. Quality of leadership is paramount.

• To wrap up this session, delegates noted that poverty eradication needs to start from the early and formative years of education, and that the problem of informal settlements goes beyond the urban sphere.

40 PART FOUR: TOWARDS SUSTAINABLE INFORMAL SETTLEMENT UPGRADING

The last session was moderated by Prof. Alfred Omenya. In the session the participants were tasked to reflect on five critical factors underlying sustainable up scaling of informal settlement upgrading in East Africa. These were: the principles and guidelines; indicators/ outcomes for measuring the impact of upgrading; issues of standards, land access and provision of basic services; governance and finances; concerns for green economy, climate change and environment.

4.1 Principles and Guidelines The main objective under this sub theme was to identify principles and guidelines that are innovative and can therefore be adopted for sustainable informal settlement upgrading. Some of the principles and guidelines identified were - - Upholding basic human rights (for housing, water, sanitation, health, education) in all informal settlements is a universal obligation for all countries. They should initiate action and develop guidelines to achieve these principles. - That policies and strategies for informal settlement regularization should be formulated to enable up-scaling leading to improvements in human well being and attainment of universal rights. - Community participation and empowerment should be key principles in all informal settlement upgrading initiatives - That minimum planning and building standards should be set for guiding the informal settlement upgrading initiatives to achieve settlements which are affordable - Good governance is a key principle for sustainable informal settlement upgrading - Partnerships and collaboration between organizations (governments, Civil society, CBOs, private sector, communities and universities) should be established in all informal settlement upgrading initiatives

4.2 Indicators for Measuring Impact of Upgrading Participants identified indicators that should be used in measuring the impact of informal settlement upgrading initiatives. Some of these indicators are summarized below - - Statistics on the decline of child mortality - Increased level of income of the residents and working conditions - Increased accessibility to clean water, health facilities and sanitation - Documented and observed level of community participation - Access to affordable housing with key infrastructural services - All-inclusive decision-making and planning i.e. when all stakeholders are involved - Enabling policies and legislations - Reduced crime rate in informal settlements

41 4.3 Land Access and Basic Services

Accessibility of land and other basic services was identified in the presentations as a major challenge to informal settlement upgrading and up-scaling initiatives in the East Africa region. Under this theme, innovative propositions were identified. Such propositions can be incorporated in the upgrading and up-scaling initiatives to ensure their sustainability. They include:

- The need to minimize standards to suit the needs and affordability levels of informal settlement dwellers - Need to explore land sharing mechanisms that are equitable and affordable - Basic services can be provided in the informal settlements by constantly engaging with service providers and by establishing revolving funds for service provision in informal settlements. - Land readjustment and re-blocking can be done to facilitate ease of access for provision of such services - Government should acquire and make available land for informal settlement upgrading and up-scaling initiatives - Need for redefinition of planning standards to accommodate high densities inthe informal settlements - Informal settlements should be considered as special planning areas and specific planning and building standards should be formulated for them - Structure owners in informal settlements should be given better incentives such as security of tenure for them to better develop the land parcels and provide basic services.

4.4 Governance and Resources The issue of good governance and effective resources mobilization and utilization were identified vital factors for sustainable informal settlement upgrading. The propositions relating to governance and resources include: - Good governance that is accountable to the citizenry should be promoted - Need for strong and visionary leadership - Need for creative ways of raising funds as opposed to relying solely on donor funding - Grassroots leadership to be established so as to impact knowledge at the grassroots on various contentious issues - Empower the community economically through various activities such as urban agriculture, jua kali etc.

4.5 Green Economy, Climate Change and Environment Sustainable initiatives for informal settlement upgrading should embrace current environmental sustainability programs geared towards green economy and climate change mitigation. Some of the green initiatives identified were -

42 - Innovative buildings built with affordable low- carbon materials - Tapping bio-energy and solar energy with decentralized grid services and management - Creating urban development plans that take into consideration the climate change issues - Need to create opportunities for communal energy-efficient systems - Creation of urban villages that are symbiotic - Open up the urban space for proper wind and ventilation - Embrace new technology that is environmentally friendly i.e. Rain water harvesting - Improve and increase the practice of urban agriculture in the informal settlements - Proper management of garbage and waste should be employed

43 PART FIVE: CONFERENCE RESOLUTIONS: Identifying Shared and Differential Responsibilities

Mr. Josiah Omotto Giving Conference Resolutions

5.1. Key points from the Conference - Mr. Josiah Omotto

The conference moderator, Mr. Josiah Omotto led the conference participants in identifying the key points from the conference as guidelines towards up scaling of informal settlement upgrading initiatives:

- Information Sharing. There should be communication networks among the key players about informal settlement upgrading. There should be discussions, cohesive decision- making and sharing of success stories so that there are no gaps in the development. Also, there should be sensitization campaigns so as to change people’s mindsets and education so that the policies are taught and understood. Data from research should be available to all the interested parties.

- Effective Influence. This is in regard to the role of leadership and policy formation. Political goodwill should be enhanced so that there are no setbacks in the upgrading venture due to political braggadocio. There should be a common vision of doing away with slum conditions by the year 2020. East African countries should come together and discuss their country policies and find out workable ones. This will help each country to collectively realize their vision. Leaders should take action to redress the social and economic disparities among the people and try to build cohesive communities.

44 - Incentives. We should build on community assets. In here, we should understand that the community has a lot to offer as they are the primary dwellers. There should be community forums to hear the community voice, listen to their ideas and make decisions with them. Offering incentives like bringing the services closer to the people, allocating uncontested lands, granting land tenure, enhancing their income and creating community development funds will help in the upgrading process.

- Investments. We should leverage all resources, including the private sector and governmental agencies. National Housing Corporations should be included to aid in the infrastructure development. We can also borrow money from banks to finance the upgrading. There should also be budgetary allocations from the state to finance the venture. We should involve development partners and use the equalization fund to finance the project.

- Infrastructure. Once we have acquired the various investors, we then start to work together to develop infrastructure. There should be much insistence on community-led infrastructure.

- Innovation. There should be practical solutions to the problems we face, these solutions should be tested and if successful, they should be implemented and then monitored and evaluated. Learning institutions like the universities should carry out innovative research that will propel innovative ideas for problem solving. In addition the research should be inclusive and participatory. Research should also be collaborative such that institutions come together to do research and share their findings. Technological innovations like in the conservation of environment should be adopted.

45 PART SIX: CONFERENCE RESOLUTIONS

The conference presenters explored various sustainable approaches towards informal settlement upgrading and up-scaling. The discussions ensuing from the presentations further enriched the days discourse on approaches to informal settlement upgrading. As the conference came to a conclusion, the following resolutions were advanced as a way forward;

1. Acknowledging that East Africa’s future is unquestionably urban, there is urgent need for Governments, Municipalities and stakeholders to urgently reverse the negative phenomenon and inhuman conditions presented by informal settlements in the region’s rapidly growing urban areas; In this regard, Governments, Municipalities, Research Institutions, civil society and urban communities were advised to take responsibility for slum upgrading and reduction squarely on their shoulders, backing international commitments with bold policy reforms, and thwarting future slum growth with inclusive planning and economic strategies.

2. Adoption of innovative approaches in tackling the dynamic issues within the region’s emerging urban areas; Urban spaces in the existing and emerging urban areas need to be approached in a more local-contextualized way to build on the local community assets and social capital. Professionals involved in facilitating upgrading and development programs need to embrace innovative approaches, skills and technologies, including negotiation, and partnership–building to address issues in the present and future cities in the region. Universities and professional associations in the region need to ‘re-engineer planning and design education and practice to realize livable cities’ through inclusive practice, action research and extension. With the great strides seen especially in technology, it was underscored that East African countries particularly the universities needed to consider newer approaches in the teaching of planning, architecture and design.

3. Concerted implementation of progressive policies for informal settlement upgrading; The conference emphasized the urgent need to review existing housing policies and programs to align them with new Constitutions and international conventions. Participatory approaches should be adopted whereby all stakeholders would collaborate in the development and review of local policies that would address community needs. It was realized that there are no agreeable indicators to monitor the implementation of policies and programs thus it was suggested there should be agreed indicators developed through baseline surveys and situational analysis. It was underscored that there is need for human indicators, beyond the conventional technical indicators, if human progress is to be attained within informal settlements interventions. Such human indicators were seen to be in terms of improved economic standards of the people, better health, a reduction in both maternal and child mortality as well as improved levels of education in informal settlements. In addition,

46 upgrading projects should embrace negotiated standards to ensure affordability to avoid gentrification. Finally, transparency should be enhanced to stem adverse vested interests and the slow enactment of legal and institutional processes by the government.

4. Building synergy in partnership for informal settlement upgrading; It was underscored that though there are various stakeholders involved in slum upgrading and up-scaling initiatives and investment, there seemed to be a disconnect among them. It was therefore agreed that there was a great need for synergy among all those concerned i.e. Governments, Municipalities, private sector, NGOs, Universities, and the communities as they all share a common goal. For example, Kenya came out as one of the countries that had so far tried to build this synergy i.e. groups such as AMT, MuST, Pamoja Trust and the City Council have partnered with the University of Nairobi – DURP in various projects. This was seen as a commendable step.

5. Visionary leadership and good governance in the management of emerging urban areas in East Africa. Lack of visionary leadership and accountability on the part of leaders was identified as the greatest obstacle to development, including informal settlement upgrading in East Africa. Countries have developed policies but implementation is often lacking. A community representatives from the Mathare slums said that the people in informal settlements lacked faith in their political leaders as there was no significant improvement in their housing and living conditions. An example is the National Housing Corporation (NHC) in Kenya whose programs are not pro-poor with senior officers allocating themselves and friends multiple houses. The Director of Housing from Rwanda, citing successes in his own country, said that good governance was at the centre of all their initiatives and that whenever there is a common direction emanating from the leadership itself, countries can never go wrong in policy implementation. In the case of Rwanda, leadership comes from the top straight down to the grassroots and there is no room for corruption and interference.

6. Broad collaboration of all urban actors and need for multi–disciplinary teams; A new dimension of collaboration was brought forth during the conference. It was clear that the urban areas and especially informal settlements have different actors who need to work together. In Makerere University-Uganda the Urban Action Lab, a research centre, acts as a platform where issues affecting urban areas are discussed by the urban actors and solutions sought. The Centre for Urban Research and Innovation, University of Nairobi, is providing a similar forum in Kenya. Universities in other East Africa countries were encouraged to establish similar planning and design laboratories. The importance of forming multi–disciplinary teams in addressing issues in 21st century urban areas was emphasized by Prof. Jason Corburn from the University of California, Berkeley. He pointed out that urban planners and designers need

47 to appreciate other disciplines like law, business, public health and sociology and constitute multi–disciplinary teams so as to plan while preserving the urban space complexities.

7. Community-led planning and development to address basic needs for infrastructure, housing, and livelihoods;

It emerged from the presentations that urban residents especially in informal settlements are experts of their environment and therefore have innovative solutions to issues affecting them. That a majority of the professionals often side- lined or overlooked the input of the inhabitants of informal settlements during project formulation and implementation. This was seen as a possible reason why informal settlements upgrading initiatives still have little to show despite many attempts being made to address this.

It was therefore recommended that the professional experts work with communities to achieve sustainable results. In the case of Tanzania and Kenya, communities take part in visioning, planning and actual development; making construction materials and building of their houses which was yet another commendable approach that should be adopted.

48 REFERENCES

1. Republic of Kenya, 2010, Constitution of Kenya 2010 , Government Printer 2. Republic of Kenya, 2012, Land Act 2012 , Government Printer 3. Republic of Tanzania, 1982, Municipal Government Council Act 4. Republic of Kenya, 2004, National Land Policy, Government Printer 5. Republic of Tanzania, 2000, Human Settlements Development Policy 6. UN HABITAT, 2010, State of the African Cities 2010. Governance, Inequality and Urban Land Markets. UN HABITAT. 7. UN HABITAT, 2010, State of the World’s Cities : Cities for All: Bridging the Urban Divide. 8. United Nations, 2010, Millennium Development Goals Report.

49 Appendix A: CONFERENCE PARTICIPANTS

1. Prof. Alphonce G. Kyessi Ardhi University, Tanzania 2. Dr. Silas Shemdoe Ardhi University, Tanzania 3. Ms. Mwanakombo Mkanga Centre for Community Initiatives,, Tanzania 4. Mr. Sam Mabala Ministry of Lands Housing & Urban Development, Uganda 5. Dr. Shuaib Lwasa Makerere University, Uganda 6. Ms. Sarah Ibanda Actogether, Uganda 7. Dr. Micheal Majale Belgium Development Corporation Consultants, Uganda 8. Mr. Edward Kyazze Rwanda Housing Authority, Rwanda 9. Mr. Antoine Muhirwa Kigale Institute for Science and Technology, Rwanda 10. Mrs Leah Muranguri Ministry of Housing – KENSUP, Kenya 11. Mr. Thomas Ogutu Ministry of Housing, Kenya 12. Mrs Theresia Munyua, Ministry of Housing, Kenya 13. Prof. Jason Corburn University of California, Berkeley 14. Ms Miriam Maina University of Witwatersrand, South Africa 15. Prof. Peter Ngau University of Nairobi, Kenya 16. Dr. Isaac K. Mwangi Kenya Institute of Planners, ,Kenya 17. Arch. Steve Oundo Architectural Association of Kenya 18. Planner Mairura Omwenga Architectural Association of Kenya ,Town Planning Chapter 19. Ms. Susan Kagondu The Rockefeller Foundation 20. Mr. James Nyoro The Rockefeller Foundation 21. Planner Domenic Mutegi Municipal Council of Thika, Kenya 22. Mr. Christopher Rusana Municipal Council of Kisumu, Kenya 23. Planner Nimrod Masaka Municipal Council of Mombasa, Kenya 24. Ms. Rose Chemtai Kirui Municipal Council of Nakuru, Kenya 25. Mr. Patrick Adolwa Urban Development and Department, Kenya 26. Prof. Tom Anyamba School of Built Environment, University of Nairobi 27. Dr. Luke Obala University of Nairobi, Kenya 28. Ms. Jacinta Kimuyu University of Nairobi, Kenya 29. Mr. Franklin Mwango Maseno University, Kenya 30. Ms. Jane Awour Olouch University of Nairobi, Kenya 31. Ms. Helen Nzainga University of Nairobi, Kenya 32. Dr. Stephen Diang’a Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology 33. Mr. Peter Magati Strathmore University, Kenya 34. Mr. Lawrence Esho Kenya Polytechnic University, Kenya 35. Mrs. Joyce Mogere University of Nairobi, Kenya 36. Ms. Rose Musyoka University of Nairobi, Kenya 37. Ms. Jayne Abonyo University of Nairobi, Kenya 38. Mr. Arthur Mwaura University of Nairobi, Kenya 39. Mr. Charles Osengo University of Nairobi, Kenya 40. Mr. Romanus Opiyo University of Nairobi, Kenya 41. Prof. Alfred Omenya University of Nairobi, Kenya 42. Arch. Edwin Oyaro University of Nairobi, Kenya 43. Mr. Charles K. Dadu University of Nairobi, Kenya

50 44. Mr. Jack Makau SDI East Africa 45. Ms. Jane Weru Akiba Mashinani, Kenya 46. Mr. Kingsley Kariuki Akiba Mashinani, Kenya 47. Prof Edward Kairu Maji naUfanisi, Kenya 48. Ms. Lucy Ndiho CSUDP, Kenya 49. Mr. Elijah Odundo Umande Trust , Kenya 50. Ms. Irene Karanja Muungano Support Trust, Kenya 51. Mr. David Mathenge Muungano Support Trust, Kenya 52. Mr. Joseph Kimani Muungano Support Trust, Kenya 53. Ms. Jane Wairutu Muungano Support Trust, Kenya 54. Mr. Edwin Simiyu Muungano Support Trust, Kenya 55. Mr. ShadrackMbaka Muungano Support Trust, Kenya 56. Ms. Sophia Kamweru Pamoja Trust, Kenya 57. Mr. Joseph Mukeku Pamoja Trust, Kenya 58. Mr. Malachi Odongo Pamoja Trust, Kenya 59. Ms. Salma Shelba Pamoja Trust, Kenya 60. Ms. Mercy Maina Pamoja Trust, Kenya 61. Mr. Paul Chege Practical Action 62. Mr. Patrick Mwanzia Practical Action 63. Mr. Joshiah Omotto Umande Trust 64. Ms. Joyce Wambui Umande Trust 65. Ms. Zeltia Gonzalez University of Nairobi 66. Ms. Keziah Mwelu Centre for Urban Research and Innovation 67. Mr. Olale Philip Centre for Urban Research and Innovation 68. Ms. Mwikali Mbilo Centre for Urban Research and Innovation 69. Ms. Margaret Mutua Centre for Urban Research and Innovation 70. Mr. Bonaventure Onyango University of Nairobi 71. Mr. Eric M. Mwilaria University of Nairobi 72. Ms. Nasra Omar Bwana University of Nairobi 73. Ms. Judith Achieng’ University of Nairobi 74. Mr. Peter Muiruri Mabatini, Nairobi 75. Ms. Emily Wangari Mathare, Naiorbi 76. Mr. Robert Mironga Mukuru, Nairobi 77. Mr. Jeremiah Ogembo Kibera Nairobi 78. Mrs. Elizabeth Nyambura Kiandutu, Thika 79. Mr. Alfred Onyango Mathare, Nairobi 80. Mr. George Ouma Mathare, Nairobi 81. Mr. John Mwangi Mathare, Nairobi 82. Mr. Peter Babu Mathare, Nairobi

51 Appendix B: CONFERENCE PROGRAM

Time Activity Description 7:30 – 8.00 Arrival and Registration of Delegates Exhibition 8.00 – 8.30 8:30-9:00 Welcome Remarks Mr. Josiah Omotto: Director, Umande Trust/Session Moderator Opening Statements: Prof. Peter M. Ngau, University of Nairobi Prof. B.K. Njoroge, Principal, CAE, University of Nairobi Dr. James Nyoro, Director, Rockefeller Foundation, Africa Official opening / launch of upgrading plans: Mr. Tirop Kosgey, PS, Ministry of Housing, Republic of Kenya 9:00 Session 1: Slum Upgrading Approaches: Lessons and Experiences Session Moderator: Prof. Edward Kairu Rapportour : Dr. Luke Obala 9.00 – 9.40 Panel 1: University Initiatives in Informal Settlement Upgrading Prof. Peter M. Ngau, University of Nairobi, Kenya Prof. Alphonse Kyessi, Ardhi University, Tanzania Dr. Shauib Lwasa, Makere University, Uganda Mr. Antoine Muhirwa, KIST, Rwanda Dr. Mike Majale , BDC, Uganda Prof. Jason Corburn, University of California, Berkeley

Short Q/A

9.40 – 10.20 Panel 2: Government Initiatives in Informal Settlement Upgrading: Ms. Leah Muraguri, Ministry of Housing (KENSUP/ KISIP), Kenya Mr. Sam Mabala, Commissioner Urban Development, Uganda Mr. Edward Kyazze, Director of Housing, Rwanda Mr. Tom Odongo, Municipalities, CCN, Kenya Mr. Christopher Rusana/Pln Ayany, Town Clerk Kisumu Mr. Tubman Otieno/Pln Masaka, Town Clerk Mombasa Planner Mwau, RealPlan, Nairobi

Short Q/A 10.20 – 11.00 Panel 3: Community/NGO Initiatives in Informal Settlement Upgrading Irene Karanja, Director, Muungano Support Trust, Kenya Steve Ouma, Director, Pamoja Trust, Kenya Sarah Ibanda, Former Director Actogether, Uganda Dr. Ndezi, Centre for Community Initiative, Tanzania Mr. Paul Chege, Practical Action, Kenya Ms. Joyce Wambui, Umande Trust, Kenya

Short Q/A

11.00 - 11:10 Session Summary by Moderator 11:10-11:30 Tea /Coffee Break

52 11:30-12:30 Session 2: New Opportunities Presented by National Constitutions and Policies for Implementation of Informal Settlement Upgrading : Moderator: Prof. Tom Anyamba Rapportour: Mr. Franklin Mwango

Augustine Masinde, Director of Physical Planning, Kenya: Implementing New laws and policies on informal settlement in Kenya Jane Weru, Director Akiba Mashinani Trust: Legal rights for informal settlements Mr. Sikuku, Director of Housing: Housing policy in Kenya Prof. Paul Syagga, Department of Real Estate, Kenya Constitution and Land Laws, in Kenya Mr. Patrick Adolwa, Urban Development Department, Kenya Urban Development Policy in Kenya Ms. Miriam Maina, Challenges in policy implementation, Kenya Dr. Silas Shemdoe, Policy initiatives for Informal Settlement Upgrading in Tanzania Ms. Emily Wangari, Youth and Gender Issues in Informal Settlements, Muungano Wa Wanavijiji, Mathare, Kenya

Short Q/A

12.30 – 12.40 Session Summary by Moderator

12.40 – 12.50

12.50 – 1.50 Lunch Break 2.00 – 3.00 Session 3: Group Discussions: Towards Sustainable Informal Settlement Upgrading: Moderator: Prof. Alfred Omenya Rapportour: Mr. Arthur Mwaura Group 1: Principles and Guidelines Group 2: Outcomes/Indicators for measuring Impact of organizing upgrading Group 3: Standards, land access & basic services Group 4: governance and finances Group 5: Green Economy, Climate Change and Environment

3:00 – 4.00 Group Presentations

4.00 – 4.10 Session summary by Moderator

4.10 – 4.30 Conference Resolution: Identifying Shared and Differential Responsibilities, Josiah Omotto

4.30 – 4.45 Vote of Thanks / Closing Remarks by Mr. Charles Karisa Dadu 4.45 – 5.30 Tea/ coffee

53 Appendix C: RESPONSES FROM CONFERENCE PARTICIPANTS AFT

After the conference a large number of congratulatory messages were received from the delegates who had attended the conference. Below is a sample of their responses;

It was a pleasure having been invited to participate in the Regional Seminar. To me it was an enriching experience where I learnt some important lessons which will help us avoid some of the mistakes that others have gone through. It was very clear that the regional effort towards transformation of informal settlements would go a long way in enhancing the national programmes. The leadership of the Centre for Urban Research and Innovation, Department of Urban and Regional Planning is highly commended and should serve an eye-opener for the rest of Universities in the region to become more concerned about the real problems facing the “wanainchi”. I sincerely value the interaction we had and I hope to benefit more from the networks made at this Seminar. I look forward to your continued cooperation. Samuel Mabala, Commissioner for Urban Development, Ministry of Lands, Housing & Urban Development, Uganda Many thanks and the very best. Looking forward to working with UoN in future on pushing this agenda forward. Prof. Shuaib Lwasa (Department of Environmental Management Makerere University) Thank you very very very much. It was great to hear from other countries. The conference gave us energy for correcting our mistakes. Mr. Antoine Muhirwa, Lecturer KIST – Rwanda

Like Samuel, I sincerely wish to express my gratitude and appreciation to all of you for your support and cooperation which enabled our Institution (RHA) to participate in this colorful and successful conference. In a special way I wish to thank the UoN organizing task force and sponsors for a job well done.

You will all agree with me that the presentations and discussions went an extra mile given the outcomes. I was particularly impressed by the regional spirit displayed by the participants that indeed informal human settlements upgrading required to be looked at in a very comprehensive context. There were a lot of lessons picked out of this conference and their value will hold if applied in their respective contexts.

Once again, well done for the good work and PLEASE, KEEP UP THE NETWORK & KEEP IT UP ALL TOO

Edward KYAZZE , Head of Division: Housing, Urban Planning & Development

Rwanda Housing Authority (RHA)

54 Thank you for organizing such a successful conference. We are happy to be associated with this project.

James Nyoro, Rockefeller Foundation

Prof Ngau and Team:

Thank you and wish you all the best in the tireless endeavor to come up with sustainable cities in East Africa and Africa as a whole.

Helen Nzainga, Lecturer, University of Nairobi

55 Appendix D: ABOUT THE PRESENTERS

Prof. Jason Corburn

Prof. Corburn is an associate professor at the University of California, Berkeley, jointly appointed in the Department of City & Regional Planning and the School of Public Health. He co-directs Berkeley’s joint Master of City Planning (MCP) and Master of Public Health (MPH) degree program, the Global Metropolitan Studies Initiative and lead the Center for Global Health Cities. His research focuses on the links between environmental health and social justice in cities, notions of expertise in science-based policy making, and the role of local knowledge in addressing environmental and public health problems. He is currently working on developing a strategy for integrating health equity into all decision making in city governance, drafting and implementing integrated upgrading plans for informal settlements and researching metrics and indicators for urban health equity. Further, he is a practitioner and researcher focused on promoting greater health equity in cities and linking city planning and public health. His work helps build partnerships between urban residents, professional scientists and decision-makers in order to collaboratively generate policy and planning solutions that improve the qualities of cities and the well-being of residents, particularly the poor and people of color.

Professor Peter M. Ngau –Director, CURI

Prof. Peter M. Ngau is an urban planner and Associate Professor, Department of University of Nairobi. He has Ph.D in Urban Planning from University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). He has over twenty years of University teaching and research experience. He served for six years National Expert United Nations Centre for Regional Planning (UNCRD) – Africa Office. He was chairman Department of Urban and Regional Planning (2002- 2008). His publications include: Informal Settlements in Nairobi: A Baseline Survey of Informal Settlements and Inventory of NGOs and CBO Activities (1995); Urban Poverty and the Survival Strategies of the Urban Poor in Nairobi (1996), Research Design, Data Collection and Analysis (2004); University/City Partnerships: Creating Policy Networks for Urban Transformation in Nairobi (with Jackie Klopp, Elliot Sclar, 2011); Challenges in Urban and Peri-Urban Land Governance in Nairobi: Dynamics, Tactics and Issues, a World Bank Report, (with Jackie Klopp, Jeremiah Ayonga and Rose Musyoka 2011). He is is managing editor, Regional Development Studies Journal and current Director, Centre for Urban Research and Innovations based in University of Nairobi

Prof. Alphonce G. Kyessi

Prof. Kyessi is a, researcher and consultant in the field of human settlements planning, development and management. He is currently employed as Associate Research Professor in the Institute of Human Settlements Studies at Ardhi University (ARU), Dar es Salaam where he has been working since 1993. His areas of research include housing, urban poverty, urban public transport, urban agriculture and urban environmental planning and management. Others are land regularization and servicing, infrastructure planning and development especially community-based management and community participation and urban agriculture. Prof. Kyessi has published widely in local and international journals. He has carried-out many researches and consultancy assignments. As well as

56 worked for government, international agencies and the private sector. He is Honorary Secretary of the Tanzania Association of Planners and Honorary Secretary of the Tanzania Association of Consultants.

Dr. Riziki Silas Shemdoe

Dr. Shemdoe works as a Research Fellow at Ardhi University, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. His research interests include: Sustainable resource use for poverty alleviation, traditional knowledge in managing natural resources, wetland management, disaster and risk management, communication strategies, sustainable use of natural resources for improving human settlements in the rural areas, ecosystem health, dry land biodiversity, land use and resource management as well as climate change. He has widely published in his area of interest in both local and international peer reviewed journals. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Forestry, MSc in Management of Natural Resources for Sustainable Agriculture, both from Sokoine University of Agriculture, Tanzania and a PhD in Applied Biological Sciences from Ghent University, Belgium.

Mr. Samuel Mabala

Samuel Mabala Shibuta works as the Commissioner for Urban Development in the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development-Uganda. He is also the Project Coordinator of the Secondary Cities Program for Transforming of Settlements of the Urban Poor in Uganda. He is a graduate of Statistics from the Institute of Statistics and Applied Economics, Makerere University and has attained post graduate training in Housing, Planning & Building (HIS, Rotterdam) and Geo-Information Systems for Urban Development from the ITC, Enschede, in the Netherlands.

Ms. Sarah Ibanda

Ms. Ibanda is a Housing specialist and Social Scientist with experience in formulating policies/ strategies related to housing. She has worked on Slum upgrading programs for both Government and the civil society. She was Head of Department for Human settlements for over 10 years with the Uganda Government which exposed her to various cross-cutting issues such as environment, gender and income generation/Livelihood administration and management. She was until June 2012, the Program Director for ACTogether Uganda a support NGO to the Uganda Slum Dwellers and an Affiliate of Slum Dwellers International. She has served on the Boards of National Housing and Construction Corporation and was Deputy Director on the shelter Afrique Board.

She holds a BA (honours), History and Economics from Makerere University, Post Graduate Diplomas in Housing and Land Management and informal Settlement Regularization; Housing, Planning and Building from Institute of Housing studies, Rotterdam.

Mr. Thomas Onyango Ogutu

Mr. Ogutu is an urban specialist who has worked in housing and human settlements sector for slightly over 17 years. He holds a Master of Urban Management from the University of Nairobi and a Bachelor’s degree in Economics and Mathematics from Egerton University-Kenya. Mr. Ogutu is an alumnus of Lund University, Sweden where he underwent training on Shelter Design and Development. He is also registered as a lead expert in Environmental Impact Assessment and Audit by the National Environment

57 Management Authority. In his working career, he has widely dealt with housing policy, housing statistics, slum upgrading and urban redevelopment matters in his country. He has also participated in various international policy development platforms including several Governing Councils of the UN-Habitat, the World Urban Forum, AMCHUD and the UN General Assembly. He is also currently serving as the Manger of the Permanent Secretariat of the African Ministerial Conference on Housing and Urban Development (AMCHUD) which is hosted in Nairobi-Kenya

Mr. Antoine Muhirwa

Mr. Muhirwa resides in Rwanda and is a Urban Planner. He holds Msc in Urban and Regional Planning/Greenwich University-U.K. He currently works as an assistant lecture at Kigali Institute of Science and Technology.

Ms. Theresia R. Munyua

Ms. Munyua is an Urban and Regional Planner and works as a Senior Assistant Director, Slum Upgrading Department, Ministry of Housing.

Mr. Michael Majale

Michael Majale is a holder of a Bachelors degree in Architecture and a Masters degree in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Nairobi and a PhD from the Newcastle University. He has over 25 years of international experience in housing and urban development in developing countries. Work has included research and development and promotion of alternative building materials and construction technologies; integrated urban housing development and slum upgrading projects, reviews of regulatory frameworks for urban upgrading and pro-poor slum upgrading frameworks; housing policy reviews; and training and capacity building projects in several countries. He has been involved in and managed several international research projects focusing on improving the housing conditions of the urban poor and reducing urban poverty. Most recently, he was the Belgian development agency, BTC Technical Advisor on the Kampala Integrated Environmental Planning and Management Project (KIEMP), a EUR 6.6 million bilateral slum upgrading project between the governments of Uganda and Belgium.

He is the co-author with Geoffrey Payne of The Urban Housing Manual: Making Regulatory Frameworks Work for the Poor; with Nabeel Hamdi of Partnerships in Urban Planning: A Guide for Municipalities. He has also authored/co-authored several drafts that have formed the basis for UN-HABITAT reports/publications, including Affordable Land and Housing in Asia; Enabling Shelter Strategies: Design and Implementation Guide for Policymakers; Analytical Perspective of Pro-poor Slum Upgrading Frameworks; and Enabling Shelter Strategies: Review of Experience from Two Decades of Implementation.

Ms. Jane Weru

Ms. Jane Weru is Executive Director and founding member of Akiba Mashinani Trust Kenya, a non-profit organization working on developing innovative community led solutions to housing and land tenure problems. In 2001, she helped found Pamoja Trust, a non- profit organization that mobilized and supported movements of the urban poor. From 1993 to 2001, she worked with Kituo Cha Sheria, a legal and human rights organization in Nairobi. Ms. Weru was also a member of the Millennium Project’s Taskforce on “improving the

58 lives of slum dwellers”. She is also a member of the Provincial Commissioners Informal Settlements Committee, a Board member of Slum/Shack Dwellers International (SDI) and the Team Leader for the Kenya Railway Relocation Action Plan.

Mr. Joseph Mukeku

Joseph Mukeku is an architect, with over 8 years’ experience, is a consulting community architect. He is tasked with design supervision and management of construction of housing units under the community led processes in Huruma and Mathare informal settlements. Mukeku’s role has been pivotal in taking communities through House Dreaming processes, leading up to eventual construction, while taking into consideration peculiarities in different settlements. His input resulted in development of community procurement systems and community construction guidelines that incorporate both skilled and unskilled labour from the community. Mukeku is a registered architect with the Kenya Board of Registration of Architects & Quantity Surveyors. He is a member of the Architectural Association of Kenya - Architects chapter and Environmental Design Chapter. He is also a member of the Cambridge Commonwealth Society. Mukeku is currently undertaking PHD studies.

Miriam Muthoni Maina

Miriam Muthoni Maina is a Masters student (Urban and Regional Planning) at Witwatersrand University, South Africa. She holds a degree in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Nairobi. She has worked as a research associate at the Urban Innovations Project, Department of Urban and Regional Planning, University of Nairobi. Her work included project management and research on informal settlements in Nairobi.

Joyce Wambui Kamande

Joyce Wambui Kamande is an urban planner with Umande Trust. She holds a degree in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Nairobi

59 Appendix E: CONFERENCE PICTURES

60 61 About CURI

PROCEEDINGS OF A REGIONAL CONFERENCE

P. O. Box 30197 - 00100 Nairobi, Kenya www.centreforurbaninnovations.org