MANAGING CONFLICTS in SLUMS WITHIN a RELOCATION PROJECT. CASE STUDY of SOWETO EAST, KIBIRA, NAIROBI Adèle Charbonneau
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MANAGING CONFLICTS IN SLUMS WITHIN A RELOCATION PROJECT. CASE STUDY OF SOWETO EAST, KIBIRA, NAIROBI Adèle Charbonneau To cite this version: Adèle Charbonneau. MANAGING CONFLICTS IN SLUMS WITHIN A RELOCATION PROJECT. CASE STUDY OF SOWETO EAST, KIBIRA, NAIROBI. 2016, 4 pg. halshs-01315397 HAL Id: halshs-01315397 https://halshs.archives-ouvertes.fr/halshs-01315397 Submitted on 13 May 2016 HAL is a multi-disciplinary open access L’archive ouverte pluridisciplinaire HAL, est archive for the deposit and dissemination of sci- destinée au dépôt et à la diffusion de documents entific research documents, whether they are pub- scientifiques de niveau recherche, publiés ou non, lished or not. The documents may come from émanant des établissements d’enseignement et de teaching and research institutions in France or recherche français ou étrangers, des laboratoires abroad, or from public or private research centers. publics ou privés. Nairobi IFRA MAMBO!DÃÊ͊ Travaux de RechercheXIV (2), 2016 sur l'Afrique de l'Est MANAGING CONFLICTS>͛ŝŶƚĠŐƌĂƟŽŶƌĠŐŝŽŶĂůĞƌǁĂŶĚĂŝƐĞ IN SLUMS WITHIN A RELOCATION PROJECT. CASE STUDY OF SOWETOJérémy E ASTRévillon, KIBERA , NAIROBI . Adèle Charbonneau Volume XI n° 7- 2013 Introduction slums are often characterized by complex and tense relations. /ŶƚƌŽĚƵĐƟŽŶ Kibera is no exception, as the settlement has known various In developing cities, many slum dwellers have settled episodesla Communauté of violence suchÉconomique as the post-election des États conflictde l’Afrique in downRwanda, in valuable année road zéro. and C'estrailway ainsi reserves qu’apparaît due to the l'année lack 2007-2008 or more recently the clashes around the National of 1994affordable au pays housing. des mille In Nairobi, collines, the ravagé railway par line plusieurs which ĞŶƚƌĂůĞ;ͿĚŽŶƚŝůĠƚĂŝƚŵĞŵďƌĞĚĞƉƵŝƐϭϵϴϭ͘ Youth Service program in 20152. The case of the Railway passesannées at the d’une edge guerre of Kibera civile has dont been l’élémentheavily encroached central et RAP>ĞŵŝŶŝƐƚğƌĞƌǁĂŶĚĂŝƐĚĞůĂŽŵŵƵŶĂƵƚĠĚ͛ĨƌŝƋƵĞ in Soweto East, a segment of the railway line in upon. Willing to expand the national railway network, ĮŶĂůĞƐƚƵŶŐĠŶŽĐŝĚĞĞŵƉŽƌƚĂŶƚƉƌğƐĚ͛ƵŶŵŝůůŝŽŶKibera,ĚĞůΖƐƚĞƐƚăůĂĨŽŝƐďĂƐĠĚĂŶƐůĞƐůŽĐĂƵdžĚƵDŝŶŝƐƚğƌĞ is interesting to study as it provides the example Kenya Railway Corporation (KRC) faced the challenge ĚĞǀŝĞƐ͘>Ğ&ƌŽŶƚWĂƚƌŝŽƟƋƵĞZǁĂŶĚĂŝƐ;&WZͿ͕ĂǀĞĐof aĚĞƐīĂŝƌĞƐƚƌĂŶŐğƌĞƐĞƚĚĂŶƐĐĞƵdžĚƵŽŵŵĞƌĐĞ rather successful relocation project implemented in of recovering the space occupied by slum dwellers. The à sa tête Paul Kagamé, prend le contrôle d'un État a slum.ĞƚĚĞů͛/ŶĚƵƐƚƌŝĞ;ƉŚŽƚŽϭͿ͘ĞŶΖĞƐƚƉĂƐƵŶŚĂƐĂƌĚ͕ In Soweto East and Laini Saba, 1680 residential expansion being funded by the World Bank1, KRC was not fantôme, où tout est à reconstruire. Au-delà du travail units and 1740 business units as well as an underpass are allowed to simply evict the population. However, with the ů͛ŝŶƚĠŐƌĂƟŽŶĂƵƐĞŝŶĚĞůΖĠƚĂŶƚůĞƚĠŵŽŝŐŶĂŐĞ being constructed. This article wishes to contribute to the supportŝŶĚŝƐƉĞŶƐĂďůĞĚĞũƵƐƟĐĞĞƚĚĞƌĠĐŽŶĐŝůŝĂƟŽŶƉŽƵƌ of Pamoja Trust, a Kenyan NGO working in informal d’intérêts commerciaux et un instrument de better understanding of informal structures in Kibera and settlements,ƉĞƌŵĞƩƌĞăŶŽƵǀĞĂƵůĞͨǀŝǀƌĞͲĞŶƐĞŵďůĞ͕ͩĐ͛ĞƐƚƚŽƵƚĞ KRC decided to develop and implement a ƌĞƉƌĠƐĞŶƚĂƟŽŶĚƵƉĂLJƐăů͛ĠƚƌĂŶŐĞƌ͕ƋƵĞĐĞƐŽŝƚĞŶ their interaction within large urban projects. Based on 18 RelocationůĂƉŽůŝƟƋƵĞƋƵ͛ŝůĨĂƵƚƌĞďąƟƌ͘^ŽƵŚĂŝƚĂŶƚƚŽƵƌŶĞƌůĞ Action Plan (RAP) to move the 9005 project- interviewsĨƌŝƋƵĞĚĞůΖĞƐƚŽƵĂƵŶŝǀĞĂƵŝŶƚĞƌŶĂƟŽŶĂů͕ƐĂĐŚĂŶƚ of implementing staff, community members affected persons (PAP) in Kibera and Mukuru, from the ĚŽƐăƐŽŶƉĂƐƐĠĞŶŵĂƟğƌĞĚĞƉŽůŝƟƋƵĞĠƚƌĂŶŐğƌĞ͕andƋƵĞů͛ŶĠŐŽĐŝĞĞŶƚĂŶƚƋƵ͛ĞŶƟƚĠƵŶŝƋƵĞůĞƐĂĐĐŽƌĚƐ KRC engineers as well as participative observation, reserve to newly built houses few meters away. le Rwanda nouvelle version va basculer d’un pays thiscommerciaux article will look avec at how l’Union the project Européenne. reveals intertwined Le Rwanda ĨƌĂŶĐŽƉŚŽŶĞƚŽƵƌŶĠǀĞƌƐůĞĐĞŶƚƌĞĚĞů͛ĨƌŝƋƵĞăƵŶconflictsrejoint in ainsiSoweto son East principal and to some partenaire extent in commercialKibera and Nevertheless, implementing large relocation projects in ƉĂLJƐĂŶŐůŽƉŚŽŶĞĂƵƐĞŝŶĚĞĨƌŝƋƵĞĚĞů͛ĞƐƚ͘<ŝŐĂůŝhow such conflicts were apprehended to minimize the risk informal settlements can be particularly difficult. Indeed, actuel, le Kenya. Cette situation s’explique par le prend ses distances avec l’Afrique centrale en 2007, of obstructionfait que Mombasa, or violence. le principal port kényan, est, de ƋƵĞůƋƵĞƐŵŽŝƐĂƉƌğƐƋƵĞƐĂĚĞŵĂŶĚĞĚ͛ŝŶƚĠŐƌĂƟŽŶă fait, aussi le principal port rwandais. Pays enclavé la Communauté d’Afrique de l'Est fut acceptée. dans l’Afrique des Grands Lacs, le Rwanda importe Le Rwanda se tourne à l’est ů͛ĞƐƐĞŶƟĞůĚĞƐĞƐŵĂƌĐŚĂŶĚŝƐĞƐĚĞƉƵŝƐůĞƐƉŽƌƚƐĚĞ DŽŵďĂƐĂĞƚĚĞĂƌĞƐ^ĂůĂĂŵĞŶdĂŶnjĂŶŝĞ͘ĞƩĞ >ĞƉƌŽĐĞƐƐƵƐĚ͛ĂĚŚĠƐŝŽŶĚƵƉĂLJƐăůĂŽŵŵƵŶĂƵƚĠ ƉŽůŝƟƋƵĞĞŶĚŝƌĞĐƟŽŶĚĞƐĞƐǀŽŝƐŝŶƐĚĞů͛ĞƐƚĚĞů͛ĨƌŝƋƵĞ 1 ĚΖĨƌŝƋƵĞĚĞů͛Ɛƚ; ͿĨƵƚůĞŶƚ͘ƉƌğƐƵŶĞƉƌĞŵŝğƌĞ permet de mieux comprendre la réorientation ĚĞŵĂŶĚĞĞīĞĐƚƵĠĞĞŶϭϵϵϲ͕ůĞƉƌŽĐĞƐƐƵƐƐ͛ĞŶĐůĞŶĐŚĞ ůŝŶŐƵŝƐƟƋƵĞĚƵZǁĂŶĚĂǀĞƌƐů͛ĂŶŐůĂŝƐ͕ƉƵŝƐƋƵĞĐĞƐĚĞƵdž ǀĠƌŝƚĂďůĞŵĞŶƚĞŶϭϵϵϵĂǀĞĐů͛ĂĐĐĞƉƚĂƟŽŶƉĂƌůĞƐƚƌŽŝƐ pays sont d’anciennes colonies britanniques, comme ŵĞŵďƌĞƐĨŽŶĚĂƚĞƵƌƐ;<ĞŶLJĂ͕KƵŐĂŶĚĂ͕dĂŶnjĂŶŝĞͿĚĞ ů͛ĂĸƌŵĂWĂƵů<ĂŐĂŵĠůƵŝͲŵġŵĞ͕ĚŝƐĂŶƚΗƚŚĂƚŝƐǁŚLJ ůĂĐĂŶĚŝĚĂƚƵƌĞƌǁĂŶĚĂŝƐĞ͘>͛ĂĚŚĠƐŝŽŶĞƐƚĐĞƉĞŶĚĂŶƚ ZǁĂŶĚĂŝƐƌĞŽƌŝĞŶƟŶŐŝƚƐĞůĨƚŽǁĂƌĚƐĂƐƚĨƌŝĐĂĂŶĚ ƌĞƉŽƵƐƐĠĞĞŶϮϬϬϮ͕ůĞƐƚƌŽŝƐƚĂƚƐƐŽƵŚĂŝƚĂŶƚĚ͛ĂďŽƌĚ ƚŚĞŶŐůŝƐŚͲƐƉĞĂŬŝŶŐǁŽƌůĚ2Η͘>ĞƉĂLJƐĞƐƚĞŶƚƌĠĚĂŶƐ ƌĠĂůŝƐĞƌƵŶĞƵŶŝŽŶĚŽƵĂŶŝğƌĞ͘ƉƌğƐĚĞƐŶĠŐŽĐŝĂƟŽŶƐ ůĞŽŵŵŽŶǁĞĂůƚŚĞŶϮϬϬϵ3͕ĂƉƌğƐĂǀŽŝƌĚĠũăĨĂŝƚĂĐƚĞ ĞŶϮϬϬϱĞƚĞŶϮϬϬϲ͕<ŝŐĂůŝƉĞƵƚĞŶĮŶĂŶŶŽŶĐĞƌƋƵĞ de candidature en 1996 et en 2003. L’anglais, quant ů͛ĂĚŚĠƐŝŽŶƌĠĞůůĞĚƵƉĂLJƐĞƐƚƉƌĠǀƵĞĂƵϭĞƌũƵŝůůĞƚϮϬϬϳ͘ ăůƵŝĞƐƚĚĞǀĞŶƵƵŶĞůĂŶŐƵĞŵĂũĞƵƌĞ͕ĂƵŵġŵĞƟƚƌĞ Map of the railway line in Kibera (one error, Nº2 is Soweto West) YƵĞůƋƵĞƐũŽƵƌƐĂǀĂŶƚĐĞƩĞĚĂƚĞ͕ůĞZǁĂŶĚĂƋƵŝƩĞ 2 « Rwanda president accuses UN of betrayal and denies backing Tutsi Source: Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts. rebels in Congo », The Guardian, 15 novembre 2008. 1. Out1 ofEn the anglais, total cost East of African the project Community, (82 million d’où l’utilisation USD), the de World l’acronyme Bank isEAC providing 3 38 «million, Le Rwanda the Ministry admis au of sein Transport du Commonwealth 38 million and », LeKRC Soir 6, 29million. novembre 2. Kiberadans groups la suite in fight du texte over projects”, Daily Nation, 23 June 23 2015. 2009. IFRA Laikipia Road, P.O. Box 58480-00200 Nairobi, Kenya Tel : 254 20 43 43 446 - Fax : 254 20 43 43 052 IFRAE-mail: Laikipia [email protected] Road, P. O. Box 52979 Web 00100, site: www.ifra-nairobi.net Nairobi, Kenya E-mail: [email protected] .1.– Web site: www.ifra-nairobi.net Mambo! Vol XIV (2) The complex and tense land tenure claims in Kibera forcing them to remain loyal (Goux 2003). Such power could also be used by political leaders to gain votes and mobilize The RAP originated from the need of KRC to recover the people. To make it worse, the government of Kenya was very railway reserve, which has been largely encroached upon by reluctant to compensate absentee structure owners ie. people slums dwellers. This land has a complex history of ownership, who own structures but do not live on the railway lines. It revealing the controversial use of urban land in Kenya by argued that they had already recovered their money and that political leaders. The land around the railway lines does they had collected income illegally without paying taxes. not formally belong to KRC; it is public land reserved for Within the RAP, absentee structure owners are thus only railway operation and maintenance. Part of the surrounding entitled to financial compensation but not to a housing unit. territory was informally granted to the Nubian community, This difference of compensation was negatively received by descendants of the Sudanese soldiers at the beginning of the absentee structure owners who organized themselves and 20th century. However, from the 70’s, a large influx of people opposed the RAP, but without really managing to change arrived from all over Kenya to Kibera settling down on the their compensation scheme. railway reserve and Nubian territory (de Smedt 2009a). In addition to the land claims of the informal cartels, the Such an expansion was condoned by local authorities Nubian community saw the RAP as intruding on their and traditional chiefs who progressively allocated land to ancestral land. Indeed, after independence, most of the newcomers. One community member, who arrived in the land granted to the Nubians had been informally allocated 80’s, described the process through which he was granted to newcomers from different ethnic communities. In the the permission to construct a structure in Kibera: “Yeah, absence of formal title deeds, the Nubian community was by then, whoever was concerned as elder of the village, he unable to stop the land allocation (de Smedt 2009a). Since was the one concerned with the railway line kind of land. So then, the Nubian community has been demanding a formal some of us we were asking can you give me a portion where and legal recognition of its rights over part of the Kibera I can put a structure. He said well thank you, but you bring territory. Within the RAP, the Nubians have constantly something small. So we were giving him or whoever that asked to be considered and consulted as beneficiaries in person was, who was by then the chairperson “Kitu kidogo” the segments of Mashimoni and Kisumu Ndogo areas. To [something small]3. Such testimony is consistent with the discuss their