The situation of the road infrastructure
A 2008 case study from the University of Nairobi shows that despite the good planning and organizing of the road infrastructure and network, most of the access roads are nowadays highly dilapidated. Several problems were observed, such as the presence of potholes, cracking, and other damage, but also obstructions from kiosks, soil heaps, and construction debris, as well as vegetation. These elements show a lack of maintenance and cleanliness by the city council. In some areas, residential buildings and commercial kiosks have encroached on the footpaths and made them inaccessible. This impacted the security of the pedestrians, forcing them to walk on the street and increasing the accident rate.
The lack of safe spaces can limit access to schools, health services, commercial places, and leisure activities, and has a direct impact on the wealth, education, and health of the inhabitants. In fact, plot owners are charged a certain amount of money monthly for road maintenance in the estate. This, and all the problems listed above, repeatedly led to big demonstrations and road blockages by residents hoping to get the attention of the government and the city.
Types of road and footpath planned in 1972. Source: Nairobi City Council, 2003. From: Mbugua, Mungai Julius. Towards Improving Provision and Management of Road Infrastructure in Urban Site and Service Schemes: Case Study of Dandora - Nairobi. Nairobi: University of Nairobi. 2008.
Several ways of dealing with the problems
The Kenyan Government started a plan of infrastructural upgrading in several areas of the city, including Dandora, to improve the accessibility to essential goods and services, mainly because of the health situation during the COVID-19 pandemic. The plan includes upgrading all the targeted roads to bitumen standards. However, this only concerns the main traffic roads of Dandora, and not the side streets leading to the dwellings.
A second project funded by UN-Habitat and the Dutch Doen Foundation has been implemented since 2018 by the Dandora Transformation League. It deals with these residential side streets, and has already been tested on a Model Street, with new paving, painted walls, children’s play areas, and planting of trees. The goal is to change Dandora’s reputation for high crime and pollution and make it an attractive district.
Grey water flowing openly on the street before intervention on the Model Street. Source: "Nairobi’s Dandora Neighborhood Shines Again - Thanks to UN-Habitat’s Waste Management Led Public Space Planning." UN-Habitat. 7 October 2019. Photograph by Marco Carolei.
Residents shared their opinion on the project. They all felt a big transformation of their affection to the neighborhood. Besides better safety for pedestrians and children, businesses can open much longer. Also, women feel significantly less segregated and anonymous as they can go out on the streets without the fear of getting robbed. The maintenance of the cleanliness and safety of the road also created new employment for residents, promoting foot-traffic. ‘There has been a boost to the communal identity with the introduction of the court systems. The neighborhoods have been divided into courts, each having their own independent gate with their name and color. This makes it easier to organize communal activities (…) (and) has led to a thriving community’, said one inhabitant.1
In conclusion, small interventions involving the residents directly and making them participate in the design and construction increases the safety and cleanliness of the road, but also strengthens the communal feeling of the neighborhood.
Inhabitants taking care of the freshly opened street. Source: “‘Model Street’ – Making Cities Together: Resident Stories.” World Habitat Awards, 2018. https://world-habitat.org/world-habitat-awards/winners-and-finalists/making-cities-together/.
Cited Sources
1. “‘Model Street’ – Making Cities Together: Resident Stories.” World Habitat Awards, 2018.
2. https://world-habitat.org/world-habitat-awards/winners-and-finalists/making-cities-together/#resident-stories Link.
Further Sources
1. Mbugua, Mungai Julius. Towards Improving Provision and Management of Road Infrastructure in Urban Site and Service Schemes: Case Study of Dandora – Nairobi. Nairobi: University of Nairobi. 2008.
2. Bacha, Derrick. “Githurai Residents, Motorists Lament over Poor State of Key Road.” Nairobi News, 17 March 2021 Link.
Cover Image
Evolution of the Road Infrastructure of Dandora. Source: Own work, based on the common drawing.