Nairobi IFRA MAMBO!DÃÊ͊ MANAGING CONFLICTSTravaux deIN Recherche SLU M S WITHIN sur l'Afrique A RELOCATION de l'Est PROJECT . XIV (2), 2016 >͛ŝŶƚĠŐƌĂƟŽŶƌĠŐŝŽŶĂůĞƌǁĂŶĚĂŝƐĞ Case study from SowetoJérémy RévillonEast, Kibera, Nairobi. Adèle Charbonneau Volume XI n° 7- 2013 Introduction/ŶƚƌŽĚƵĐƟŽŶ slums are often characterized by complex and tense relations. Kiberala Communauté is no exception, Économique as the settlement des has États known de various l’Afrique In Rwanda,developing année cities, zéro. many C'est slum ainsi dwellers qu’apparaît have settledl'année episodesĞŶƚƌĂůĞ;ͿĚŽŶƚŝůĠƚĂŝƚŵĞŵďƌĞĚĞƉƵŝƐϭϵϴϭ͘ of violence such as the post-election conflict in down1994 in auvaluable pays desroad milleand railway collines, reserves ravagé due par to plusieursthe lack 2007-2008 or more recently the clashes around the National of annéesaffordable d’une housing. guerre In civileNairobi, dont the l’élémentrailway line central which et >ĞŵŝŶŝƐƚğƌĞƌǁĂŶĚĂŝƐĚĞůĂŽŵŵƵŶĂƵƚĠĚ͛ĨƌŝƋƵĞ Youth Service program in 20152. The case of the Railway passesĮŶĂůĞƐƚƵŶŐĠŶŽĐŝĚĞĞŵƉŽƌƚĂŶƚƉƌğƐĚ͛ƵŶŵŝůůŝŽŶ at the edge of Kibera has been heavily encroached RAPĚĞůΖƐƚĞƐƚăůĂĨŽŝƐďĂƐĠĚĂŶƐůĞƐůŽĐĂƵdžĚƵDŝŶŝƐƚğƌĞ in Soweto East, a segment of the railway line in upon. Willing to expand the national railway network, ĚĞǀŝĞƐ͘>Ğ&ƌŽŶƚWĂƚƌŝŽƟƋƵĞZǁĂŶĚĂŝƐ;&WZͿ͕ĂǀĞĐKibera,ĚĞƐīĂŝƌĞƐƚƌĂŶŐğƌĞƐĞƚĚĂŶƐĐĞƵdžĚƵŽŵŵĞƌĐĞ is interesting to study as it provides the example Kenya Railway Corporation (KRC) faced the challenge à sa tête Paul Kagamé, prend le contrôle d'un État of aĞƚĚĞů͛/ŶĚƵƐƚƌŝĞ;ƉŚŽƚŽϭͿ͘ĞŶΖĞƐƚƉĂƐƵŶŚĂƐĂƌĚ͕ rather successful relocation project implemented in of recovering the space occupied by slum dwellers. The fantôme, où tout est à reconstruire. Au-delà du travail a slum. In Soweto East and Laini Saba, 1680 residential expansion being funded by the World Bank1, KRC was not ů͛ŝŶƚĠŐƌĂƟŽŶĂƵƐĞŝŶĚĞůΖĠƚĂŶƚůĞƚĠŵŽŝŐŶĂŐĞ units and 1740 business units as well as an underpass are allowedŝŶĚŝƐƉĞŶƐĂďůĞĚĞũƵƐƟĐĞĞƚĚĞƌĠĐŽŶĐŝůŝĂƟŽŶƉŽƵƌ to simply evict the population. However, with the d’intérêts commerciaux et un instrument de being constructed. This article wishes to contribute to the supportƉĞƌŵĞƩƌĞăŶŽƵǀĞĂƵůĞͨǀŝǀƌĞͲĞŶƐĞŵďůĞ͕ͩĐ͛ĞƐƚƚŽƵƚĞ of Pamoja Trust, a Kenyan NGO working in informal ƌĞƉƌĠƐĞŶƚĂƟŽŶĚƵƉĂLJƐăů͛ĠƚƌĂŶŐĞƌ͕ƋƵĞĐĞƐŽŝƚĞŶ better understanding of informal structures in Kibera and settlements,ůĂƉŽůŝƟƋƵĞƋƵ͛ŝůĨĂƵƚƌĞďąƟƌ͘^ŽƵŚĂŝƚĂŶƚƚŽƵƌŶĞƌůĞ KRC decided to develop and implement a ĨƌŝƋƵĞĚĞůΖĞƐƚŽƵĂƵŶŝǀĞĂƵŝŶƚĞƌŶĂƟŽŶĂů͕ƐĂĐŚĂŶƚ their interaction within large urban projects. Based on 18 RelocationĚŽƐăƐŽŶƉĂƐƐĠĞŶŵĂƟğƌĞĚĞƉŽůŝƟƋƵĞĠƚƌĂŶŐğƌĞ͕ Action Plan (RAP) to move the 9005 project- interviewsƋƵĞů͛ŶĠŐŽĐŝĞĞŶƚĂŶƚƋƵ͛ĞŶƟƚĠƵŶŝƋƵĞůĞƐĂĐĐŽƌĚƐ of implementing staff, community members affected persons (PAP) in Kibera and Mukuru, from the le Rwanda nouvelle version va basculer d’un pays andcommerciaux KRC engineers avec as welll’Union as participative Européenne. observation, Le Rwanda reserve to newly built houses few meters away. ĨƌĂŶĐŽƉŚŽŶĞƚŽƵƌŶĠǀĞƌƐůĞĐĞŶƚƌĞĚĞů͛ĨƌŝƋƵĞăƵŶthisrejoint article will ainsi look son at howprincipal the project partenaire reveals intertwinedcommercial ƉĂLJƐĂŶŐůŽƉŚŽŶĞĂƵƐĞŝŶĚĞĨƌŝƋƵĞĚĞů͛ĞƐƚ͘<ŝŐĂůŝconflictsactuel, in leSoweto Kenya. East Cette and to situation some extent s’explique in Kibera par and le Nevertheless, implementing large relocation projects in prend ses distances avec l’Afrique centrale en 2007, how such conflicts were apprehended to minimize the risk informal settlements can be particularly difficult. Indeed, fait que Mombasa, le principal port kényan, est, de ƋƵĞůƋƵĞƐŵŽŝƐĂƉƌğƐƋƵĞƐĂĚĞŵĂŶĚĞĚ͛ŝŶƚĠŐƌĂƟŽŶăof obstructionfait, aussi or le violence. 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 YƵĞůƋƵĞƐũŽƵƌƐĂǀĂŶƚĐĞƩĞĚĂƚĞ͕ůĞZǁĂŶĚĂƋƵŝƩĞ Map of the railway line in Kibera (one error, Nº2 is Soweto West) 2 « Rwanda president accuses UN of betrayal and denies backing Tutsi Source: Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts, rebelshttp://iaps.zrc-sazu.si/en/programi-in-projekti/ in Congo », The Guardian, 15 novembre 2008. 1 En anglais, East African Community, d’où l’utilisation de l’acronyme EAC 3 « Le Rwanda admis au sein du Commonwealth », Le Soir, 29 novembre estimation-of-population-within-informal-settlement-kibera-nairobi-kenya#v dans la suite du texte 2009. 1Out of the total cost of the project (82 million USD), the World Bank is providing 38 million, the Ministry of Transport 38 million and KRC 6 million IFRA Laikipia Road, P.O. Box 58480-00200 Nairobi, Kenya 2Kibera groups in fight over projects”, Daily Nation,, 23 June 23 2015. Tel : 254 20 43 43 446 - Fax : 254 20 43 43 052 E-mail: [email protected] Web site: www.ifra-nairobi.net IFRA Laikipia Road, P. O. Box 52979 00100, Nairobi, Kenya E-mail: [email protected] –.1. Web site: www.ifra-nairobi.net Mambo! . Vol XIV (2) forcing them to remain loyal (Goux 2003). Such power could The complex and tense land tenure claims in Kibera also be used by political leaders to gain vote and mobilize people. To make it worse, the government of Kenya was very The RAP originated from the need of KRC to recover the reluctant to compensate absentee structure owners ie. people railway reserve, which has been largely encroached upon by who own structures but do not live on the railway lines. It slums dwellers. This land has a complex history of ownership, argued that they had already recovered their money and that revealing the controversial use of urban land in Kenya by they had collected income illegally without paying taxes. political leaders. The land around the railway lines does Within the RAP, absentee structure owners are thus only not formally belong to KRC; it is public land reserved for entitled to financial compensation but not to a housing unit. railway operation and maintenance. Part of the surrounding This difference of compensation was negatively received by territory was informally granted to the Nubian community, absentee structure owners who organized themselves and descendants of the Sudanese soldiers at the beginning of the opposed the RAP, but without really managing to change 20th century. However, from the 70’s, a large influx of people their compensation scheme. arrived from all over Kenya to Kibera settling down on the railway reserve and Nubian territory (de Smedt 2009a). In addition to the land claims of the informal cartels, the Nubian community saw the RAP as intruding on their Such expansion was condoned by local authorities and ancestral land. Indeed, after independence, most of the traditional chiefs who progressively allocated land to land granted to the Nubians had been informally allocated newcomers. One community member, who arrived in the to newcomers from different ethnic communities. In the 80’s, described the process through which he was granted absence of formal title deeds, the Nubian community was the permission to construct a structure in Kibera: “Yeah, unable to stop the land allocation. (de Smedt 2009a). Since by then, whoever was concerned as elder of the village, he then, the Nubian community has been demanding a formal was the one concerned with the railway line kind of land. So and legal recognition of its rights over part of the Kibera some of us we were asking can you give me a portion where territory. Within the RAP, the Nubians have constantly I can put a structure. He said well thank you, but you bring asked to be considered and consulted as beneficiaries in something small. So we were giving him or whoever that the segments of Mashimoni and Kisumu Ndogo areas. To person was, who was by then the chairperson “Kitu kidogo” discuss their claims, a seminar was organized by REMU, [something small]3. Such testimony is consistent with the the Railway Implementation Unit, with the Kenyan Nubian well-known phenomenon of land-grabbing in Kenya (Obala council of elders where it was agreed that more Nubians and Mattingly 2014), whereby private entities seized large would be included in the community structures. One of portions of the country’s public land. Yet, at the individual Pamoja Trust’s staff working on the RAP explained the level, many slums dwellers constructed their wealth and conflict in these terms: patrimony by progressively building structures and renting them out (Goux 2003). “The conflict about Nubians as it was the Nubians have always laid claim for ownership of the entire Kibera. […] However, when KRC decided to concession the railway line And so when it came to projects in Kibera,