Kibera Clearance Gets the Green Light

Nate Berg reports on a Kenyan High Court decision that allows the government to proceed with "slum upgrading and road construction projects" in one of the largest informal settlements in the world, by tossing out ownership claims made by residents

1 minute read

May 30, 2012, 1:00 PM PDT

By Jonathan Nettler @nettsj

Despite occupying land in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi for 150 years, the lack of formal land ownership recognition, long recognized as a key problem in efforts to improve conditions for the world's urban slum dwellers, is cited as the central reason that Kibera residents were unable to prevent the government from evicting them.

"The court ruled that stopping the projects would not be in the public interest, according to this article from The Star in Kenya," writes Berg. "It also upheld the government's right to use the land as it pleases, noting that the residents, including a large subset of ethnic Nubians, have shown no proof of land title or deeds. Unless something dramatic happens, the government's upgrading plans are likely to roll out in Kibera soon."

FULL STORY: Slum Evictions Move Ahead in Nairobi

Tuesday, May 29, 2012 in The Atlantic Cities

Land Use Social / Demographics Africa Slum Clearance Kenya Nairobi Kibera View More

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