Kenya - Nairobi
The Urban Pathways Implementation Tracker is tracking the Projects Progress
Nairobi
Urban Pathways has been supporting Nairobi since 2017 in the implementation of sustainable mobility & placemaking projects. Moreover the Urban Pathways team is working on waste related activities (SDG Data Assessment, identifying intervention options) with the city as well as on energy efficient housing solutions. |
Pilot and Demonstration Action
Placemaking, pedestrianization and impact on public health – Luthuli Avenue Transformation The city embarked on a journey towards transforming Luthuli Avenue, one of the most vibrant commercial streets in downtown Nairobi. The street is part of a larger pedestrian desire-line that connects down- town Nairobi with its Central Business District. The street is home to wholesale and retail shops for various merchan- dise, particularly electronics. Over the last few years, the street has deteriorated into a congested area, where different transport users are fighting for space and high levels of noise and air pollution are the reality. Under Urban Pathways, UN-Habitat supported Nairobi in the transformation of Luthuli Avenue by providing technical advice on placemaking and re-design, as well as support for the urban furniture. In 2018 it started with a placemaking week, that was repeated in 2019 and extended to a re-design of existing infrastructure. |
Cycling promotion and advocacy
Complementary to the technical advice on placemaking and physical implementation of pedestrian zone (Luthuli Ave- nue), the Urban Pathways project supported various cycling and advocacy events including high level participation. Greater awareness and acceptance of cycling as a sustainable mode of transport by government officials in Kenya is necessary to integrate cycling as an essential part of transport plans and investment decisions. Many public officials have not cycled for many years and have lost the feeling and enthusiasm for cycling, which they might have experienced during their childhood days. There is limited understanding of cycling among the government officials, particularly with a view to the cyclists’ vulnerability on the roads and at intersections. Therefore, a high-level bicycle ride with public officials in Kenya was organized to revive the interest for cycling, direct policies and to create an understanding of the opportunities and challenges of cycling in Nairobi. Nairobi Governor, Mike Sonko, participated in addition to other high level government officials. |
Inclusive Mobility
The Urban Pathways team, together with partners, supported the production of a film on accessible and low carbon pub- lic transport in Dar es Salaam and Nairobi. This film presents the contrast between the capitals of Tanzania and Kenya, in respect to implementation of an inclusive, low carbon transport system. Whereas the Bus Rapid Transit system in Dar es Salaam caters for specific needs of vulnerable groups, public transport in Nairobi exhibits significant challenges to persons with limited mobility. Run by commercial entities with limited public infrastructure, the Kenyan ‘matatu’ (mini- bus) system does not yet sufficiently account for people confronted with mobility difficulties, resulting frequently in long waiting times, physical discomfort and excessive pricing for such commuters. This is aggravated by the lack of strong policy frameworks or incentives for the creation of inclusive public transport infrastructure. |
Air Quality Sensing powered by Citizen Science
Pollution in the Kenyan capital Nairobi is on the rise - and there is no escape from it. With Nairobi’s predicted rise in population – and a constant inflow of cars due to the high motorization rate – an urban health crisis is anticipated if no action to lower pollution levels is taken. In an effort to measure air pollution, the Urban Pathways project spearheaded by UN-Habitat has joined hands with the University of Nairobi’s Maker Space Lab in a project called “Open Seneca Nairobi – Air Quality Monitoring powered by citizen science”. In a collaboration between the University of Nairobi Science and Technology Park - Maker Space Lab, Open Seneca, the University of Cambridge and UN-Habitat, a pilot project has started in Nairobi to build low cost mobile sensors in order to map out air pollution in Kenya’s capital city. |
Municipal solid waste collection in Nairobi and Mombasa
With support from the Urban Pathways project, UN-Habitat supported Nairobi and Mombasa in their efforts to collect data on their solid waste generation and collection. The results revealed that household’s in Nairobi generate 2,290 t/ day in total municipal solid waste, out of which 1,820 t/day would be recyclable. This data was used as the basis to start discussions with the local governments on the most appropriate and feasible SWM improvement options. UN-Habitat organised various workshops in Nairobi and Mombasa to discuss technical and governance strategies to realistically and gradually improve the current situation. |
COVID-19 related interventions (I): Using creative methods to spread key messages on COVID-19 and low carbon services
All regions of the world are now facing the COVID-19 pandemic. People in cities, crowded public spaces and streets, or in public transport are particularly at risk of being infected due to the reduced social distance among individuals. Communities need to be supported in accessing full information about the impacts of COVID-19 – also the ones that are less digitally connected. Creative methods such as graffiti, painting and photography can be used to raise awareness of low carbon basic services. Under the Urban Pathways project, in June 2020, UN-Habitat started working with local youth and artists on the development of key messages that help to educate the public – and at the same time empower local communities by providing youth / artists with an opportunity in a time where many might have lost their jobs due to COVID-19. The project is enhancing community awareness, mitigates health risks and adverse socio-economic impacts of the pandemic, while at the same time informs longer-term low carbon strategies in Nairobi. In collaboration with the Matatu Welfare Association, the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA), and the Kenya Urban Roads Authority (KURA), the matatus were launched in a small event and send off to the roads to serve their customers. In addition to the minibuses, murals were painted on walls in informal settlements of Kibera and Mathare in collaboration with local artists to reach slum dwellers that otherwise might not have regular access to any form of digital media. Budget: 5,750 EUR |
Outlook: Planned and/or Possible Future Action
Mainstreaming green housing in an incremental and self-build context With support from Urban Pathways, UN-Habitat has unveiled a house prototype for affordable green building aimed at addressing housing shortage in densely populated urban areas – showcased during the UN- Habitat Assembly in May 2019. Dubbed Tiny House, the model is expected to address the problem of affordable housing in Kenya and tackle climate change. |
Country Profile
Nairobi the capital of Kenya and located on the edge of the country's agricultural region of the central highlands, 1800 meters above sea level - this contributes to lower average temperatures and creates an area where rainfall is relatively higher than in the surrounding areas. Nairobi as a city was established by the colonial powers in the late 1890s, initially as a railway camp, and now is the second largest city by population size in the Great Lakes region – after Dar es Salaam in Tanzania (World Bank, 2016). |
Policy Environment Assessment
Policy environment papers analyse the political and institutional framework in pilot and replication countries. It includes a brief summary of the country's NDC and first steps in exploring potential policy measures. Here is a list of papers that have been discussed with partner cities. |
UP Pilot Project Concepts
Easy movement and logistics of small-scale businesses in Mombasa through adoption of Electric Handcarts The Government of Kenya has identified the importance of the use of handcarts by the informal sectors for the movement of goods by small scale businesses, mainly women and citizens with the poor economic state. Therefore, the government is keen to support them on their economic development considering health benefits and ease in movement too. National Youth Service being a Government of Kenya agency has partnered with Auto-Truck E.A Ltd to support, develop and mass produce electric handcarts as a local solution to the menace created by the conventional manual handcarts. The project intends to pilot 10 electric handcarts to provide services to small business entrepreneurs together with the identification of a micro-finance business model. |
UP Pilot Project Concepts
Solid Waste Management in Africa has long been a neglected area. Only less than 5% of the total SWM-focused development finance between 2003 and 2012 was received by Sub-saharan Africa region. However, Africa’s urbanization rate is 3.5%, the highest in the world. Due to the rapid urbanization in recent years, municipal solid waste management has become a big challenge for many cities, as lower income cities in Africa expected to double their municipal solid waste generation within the next 15-20 years. |
Implemented Projects
The Action Plans summarise key on-going initiatives and identify opportunities for further action with a focus on cross-sectoral synergies and policy interactions between the local and national level. Tiny Houses This sustainable living unit in the Tropics is a prototype of an affordable house provided with all basic services including: clean energy, food production, onsite waste management, natural lighting and ventilation and many more sustainable design principles. |