What Happens in Dandora at Night?
by Leandra Graf
Nairobi – a vibrant megacity in East Africa, a bright spot on Earth at night when seen from space. In the eastern part of it, Dandora – a poor neighborhood equipped with only basic infrastructure. The road and water system is reduced to a minimum, and the electrical and lighting provision is scarce.
When Dandora was built in the 1980s, the lighting infrastructure was drawn up, but was not the main focus. In 2005 it was observed that ‘Street lights where existing were either not functional, damaged, or dirty (…) in most of the areas. Obstruction by informal business (kiosks) was also noted’.1 In a survey conducted in 2008, it was noted that ‘On a priority basis, the respondents desired improved street lighting (35.9 per cent), followed closely by repairing of roads (33.7 per cent) (…)’.2
Today, high-mast lighting (up to 40m high) hovers above the inhabitants. Along the main traffic axes, the lights shine 360 degrees. The most common typology is high-mast lighting, with four spots that glow in four directions. Furthermore, there are street lamps with only single spots, and, occasionally, the inhabitants mount lights onto the entrances of their houses or businesses. It is noted that on big roads, lighting provision is generally given, in contrast to the more dense and self-built urban fabric where the provision is scarce.
The inadequate presence or, rather, absence of lighting provision creates two opposite schemes of how people move around the neighborhood: day and night. While people move around relatively freely by daylight, after dark, the lack of public lighting infrastructure makes it difficult even to access shared essential services and hinders residents from feeling safe outside. The area’s history of darkness is not only associated with insecurity, but also strongly associated with criminality.
Several projects address the lack of lighting in informal settlements. One example is the bottom-up approach with LED lights, as was the case in Khayelitsha, Cape Town.3 Another is the top-down approach of ‘Adopt a light’,4 which has already upgraded several poor neighborhoods in Nairobi. Can they serve as a long-term solution for upgrading the Dandora neighborhood?
