NPI is excited to announce Nairobi PlaceMaking Week which will be happening November 30th to December 4th. We encourage our readers in Nairobi to join the exciting events. Cities only improve when citizens advocate and support needed changes-get out there and make Nairobi a better place and have some fun while at it!

Wednesday (30 Nov), 9 am to 17 pm: Jevanjee Garden and surrounding streets.
Street painting, Pop Up Plazas, Bus Rapid Transit Exhibition
Join us in painting our roads while creating awareness of Non-Motorized Transport safety.

Friday (2 Dec), 6-8.30 pm: Urban Dialogue - Alchemist Bar
Inspiring talks by urban change makers from various backgrounds.

Sunday (4 Dec), 9am to 12 pm: Critical Mass Event around CBD
A whole loop in the CBD will be closed down - this will be a unique opportunity to illustrate that Nairobi has a critical mass that cycles.
Come with bikes and bring friends along.

NPI: What is your background? How did you come to work for ITDP?

Cities today face the critical task of reducing inequality while also minimizing their contribution to global climate change. My interest in tackling these twin challenges first led me to ITDP in 2003, when I worked on an assessment of the environmental impacts of the proposed bus rapid transit (BRT) system in Cape Town, South Africa. I later joined ITDP’s India office at the end of 2007. We helped implement India’s first high quality BRT system, known as Janmarg, in the city of Ahmedabad, and went on to work with a number of other Indian cities to create better public transport, usable footpaths, and transit-oriented development policies. I am now heading ITDP’s Nairobi office where we work to ensure a sustainable, equitable future for African cities.

NPI: Can you describe some of your work on transportation in Nairobi? What are the challenges and also opportunities?

With a population approaching 4 million people, Nairobi is in urgent need of a safe, modern, and efficient public transport system. The most viable way to bring high quality service to the majority of Nairobi residents is to develop a bus rapid transit (BRT) system along the city’s main roads. A BRT system would offer faster travel in dedicated bus lanes, stepless boarding from central stations, and convenient smart-card ticketing. The timely deployment of BRT also has tremendous potential to transform the city’s matatu industry, helping to grow the mode share of public transport in the city and improving working conditions for operators.

Over the past several years, ITDP has been providing support to national and local government agencies on the development of an integrated BRT network in the metropolitan region. As part of these efforts, ITDP prepared a service plan for BRT Line 1, which runs from James Gichuru to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport on the A104. We are now working to ensure that the service plan’s findings are used to shape the infrastructure designs along the corridor and that the designs for Line 1 mesh with the plans for other BRT corridors in the city.

NPI: Setting up a new program and office must be exciting! As Africa Program Director, what is your vision for work moving forward? Who would you like to partner with and what would you like to accomplish in the coming years?

As we begin to deepen our presence in the region, we look forward to expanding our activities in Kenya and launching work in new cities. We welcome partnerships with like-minded organizations, individuals, and cities. Our vision is one where cities put people before cars, one where residents, workers, and visitors, both young and old, can safely walk or cycle to their daily activities. We also want to create more affordable cities, where jobs and services are a short bus or BRT ride away, allowing residents to put money that otherwise would have been spent on driving to more productive uses. These are the kinds of cities that are attractive to us today—cities with less congestion, less pollution, fewer accidents, and healthier, safer, more productive communities.

ITDP recently began working with the County Government of Kisumu, helping prepare the first comprehensive mobility plan for Kisumu, Kenya’s third largest city. ITDP is conducting workshops, focus groups, and scoping surveys to assess the opportunities and challenges. Working with local stakeholders, we will develop an action plan for critical transport improvements relating to walking and cycling, boda bodas, public transport, and parking management. ITDP is also working with Kiambu County to improve pedestrian facilities in the Ruiru town centre and to develop an urban transport policy that outlines how transport investments will be aligned with the county’s goal of establishing a network of compact, pedestrian-friendly neighbourhoods linked by high quality public transport.

NPI: As an expert in transportation looking at Nairobi, what advice would you give the city? What should the priority interventions be?

Besides high quality public transport, Nairobi needs much better facilities for walking and cycling. Most of our major streets lack footpaths, and we don’t have safe pedestrian crossings. As a result, five hundred pedestrians die on the streets of Nairobi every year. In order to end the carnage, we need a network of safe, accessible, at-grade, pedestrian facilities. We need to stop allocating resources to ill-conceived foot overbridges. These bridges are promoted under the pretext of improving pedestrian access, but are primarily intended to facilitate faster movement of personal motor vehicles. As demonstrated by Ma3route’s recent analysis of crash patterns, foot overbridges have not improved pedestrian safety. We need to start making investments in infrastructure that truly benefits the majority of city residents who walk and cycle every day: generous footpaths on all of our streets, traffic calmed crossings, continuous cycle tracks, and better lighting to improve safety at night. These improvements will go a long way toward making Nairobi an equitable city that treats all citizens with respect—regardless of how they move around the city.

NPI: How can people get updates and learn more about ITDP’s work in Nairobi and Africa more generally?

 We welcome everyone to visit our website at    africa.itdp.org and follow us on Twitter (http:/www.twitter.com/itdpafrica) and Facebook (ITDPAfrica). If you’re in Nairobi, we’d be happy to meet up in person. Drop us a line at [email protected]!

NPI is very pleased to present an interview with Nairobi Urban Planner Jeremiah Atho Ougo who works at the Kenya Desk of UN-Habitat. Architect Activist Anna Oursler conducted the interview and caught up with Planner Atho Ougo in Quito where the New Urban Agenda of Habitat III was being discussed and ratified. 

1) NPI: Explain what brought you to Quito and what made the biggest impression on you so far?

I came to Quito in my capacity as UN-Habitat staff responsible for Country activities. In this capacity, my tasks were to organize side events on Kenya. The biggest impression so far is how Quito has utilized public spaces to enhance NMT (Non-Motorized Transport). The streets are adequately planned for vehicular and pedestrian use. Recreational Parks are accessible to public and this contributes to reduction in  urban crime.

 

2) What specific elements of the New Urban Agenda (NUA) are particularly important for Nairobi and why?

NUA is about Sustainable Urban Development.  Nairobi needs to embrace urban planning and design as a tool for sustainable urbanization. In doing so, the City must mainstream sustainable urban planning principles into its master planning process. These Principles include densification, mixed land use, public spaces, street design and social integration. The second element of NUA that Nairobi must embrace is enforceable legislation  that buttresses urban planning and design. In doing so, the city must have regulations and rules that guide planning particularly with regard to zoning, plot ratios, plot sizes, minimum and maximum. Thirdly, Nairobi must strengthen its municipal financing by enhancing revenue generation streams so as to maintain stable revenue that can support sustainable urbanization.

3) What are the challenges to implementing the NUA in Nairobi and how will you start working to overcome them?

Social exclusion and segregation are a huge challenge in urban areas, and this will affect social integration. On the other hand, urban sprawl will greatly affect attempts to ensure sustainable urban planning while inadequate financing to implement NUA will be a huge obstacle. It may also be too difficult to bring all actors on board.

 

4) What lessons  or ideas from Nairobi have you shared this week and what will you take back to Nairobi from being in Quito?

Nairobi has good lessons that the world can learn from while implementing the NUA. The leadership of the Capital City has developed the Public Spaces Programme that seeks to enhance effective utilization of existing public spaces. Further, the City in collaboration with partners including UN-Habitat, have developed an Inventory of all existing public spaces in the city. This inventory will be a tool that will be used in monitoring the public spaces  in order to put them into better use and reduce chances of land grabbing by private developers.

 Jeremiah Atho Ougo is an Urban Planner currently working at UN-Habitat’s Kenya Desk in the Regional Office for Africa. He previously worked as a Physical Planner with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees where he supervised shelter, physical planning and infrastructure provision to refugees and host communities living in the Dadaab refugee camps and environs. Jeremiah was also part of the team that prepared (on behalf of Devolution and Planning and Land Housing & Urban Development Ministries) sustainable Integrated Urban Development Plans for various towns in Kenya including Othaya town. He holds a bachelor of Urban Planning degree of Makerere University and a master degree in Project Planning & Management from the University of Nairobi and sits in the Governing Council of the Kenya Institute of Planners as Assistant Registrar and Corporate Member. He is also a registered Lead EIA/EA Expert with the National Environment Management Authority.

NPI invited entrepreneur Sellina Ayoma Omollo, Director of Ubabi Vanpooling, a new transportation company, to share her thoughts on what brought her to start this new business which aims to get the car driving class in Nairobi into shared mobility.

It has been said that a crisis is an opportunity in disguise. If so, then there is no greater opportunity in Nairobi today than that of decongesting road traffic. As a matter of fact, the topic of traffic congestion was a campaign issue in the 2012 Nairobi Gubernatorial race. Immediately following his election, Governor Evans Kidero formed the Nairobi Metropolitan Region Traffic Decongestion Committee. This committee has since employed several interventions such as expansion of roads, introduction of bypasses, blocking roundabouts, introduction of one way traffic in the Central Business District, removal of right turns and increment of parking fees. Despite all these efforts, the situation seems to persist and even worsen.

This scenario warrants a reexamination of the problem to unearth the underlying causes in order to find appropriate solutions. According to the Kenya Institute of Public Policy Research and Analysis (KiPPRA) 2015 report, the cost of traffic jams in the Nairobi Metropolitan Region was estimated at KES 1.9 billion annually, on account of additional time spent on travel due to congestion. Other negative effects include decreased productivity and health risks caused by air pollution and stress.

Nairobi, the capital city of Kenya has a current estimated population of 3.5 million. A study of the largest cities in the world by population such as Tokyo/Yokohama (33.2 million); New York Metro (17.8 million); Paris (9.2 million) and London (8.2 million) shows interesting transit patterns. The key observation is the vast number of people travel at any given time, day or night. The amazing thing is that almost everyone is on public transport in these cities!

Nairobi on the other hand, despite the much lower population, is congested due to the overwhelming number of low occupancy personal cars being driven. In the past two decades, the rising middle class alongside the affordability of vehicles from Japan has resulted in increased traffic jams. Unfortunately, this trend is the complete opposite of the desired movement towards sustainable living as envisioned in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), of which Kenya is a signatory.

A keen look at the public transport options in Nairobi would explain why the residents prefer to drive to work regardless of the high costs and stress associated with it. The public transport options are often unprofessional and unreliable. Matatus for example are designed to make the passenger as uncomfortable as possible: Loud music, offensive graffiti and irregular routes and fares are the order of the day. Buses and trains on the other hand are not easily accessible and are few in number.

Perhaps it is time to rethink the strategies for solving the challenge of traffic congestion in Nairobi. It is time to provide ‘luxury public transport’ that will appeal to the driving class. Vanpooling for instance is an option that will provide convenience and comfort. Vanpooling is an arrangement between coworkers or neighbours who commit to travel the same way to work and back for a specific period of time. The vans are spacious, clean, fitted with seat belts and most of all have no graffiti. The drivers are courteous and professionally trained. Passengers can relax during the commute and even work if they wish. Payments are in easy and convenient monthly subscriptions by cashless means. The cashless system also helps curb interference by cartels.

At a first glance, vanpooling may not seem to make much difference. However at closer look the difference is evident. For example, if four resident associations would embrace this option and each hire at least one 25-seater van, that would be 100 less personal vehicles on the roads. The convenience and comfort one enjoys in their personal vehicle would still be maintained.  Once this model is operationalized, it would significantly reduce traffic congestion in Nairobi.

Sellina Ayoma Omollo is  a 36 year old pastor’s wife and a mother of three. She holds a PhD in Human Nutrition and is currently the Director of Ubabi Vanpooling society. She became interested in sustainable transportation out of frustration with the road traffic congestion in Nairobi. Frustrated with the “pathetic public transportation system in Kenya”, she created Ubabi Vanpooling, which seeks to reduce traffic congestion in Nairobi by providing luxury group transportation options Sellina can be reached at [email protected]  

Facebook: Ubabi luxury vanpooling Twitter: @ubabivanpooling

Sexual harassment in public transport is a global problem.  Kenya is no exception. Every day tens of thousands of women making trips in Public Service Vehicles (matatus) face unacceptable behavior from their fellow male passengers making mobility a dangerous and uncomfortable experience.

In an effort to make travel safer and more comfortable for women, one Kenyan organization, the FLONE Initiative, is combating sexual harassment on public transportation in Kenya . NPI bloggers Seth  Kerr and Jacqueline Klopp conducted an extended interview with Naomi Mwaura, a co-founder of The FLONE Initiative. Naomi not only helps combat sexual harassment through this Initiative but is also committed to helping all people in Kenya have access to equitable transportation as a dedicated staff member for the Institute for Transportation Development Policy (ITDP) which recently set up shop in Nairobi.

NPI: How did the FLONE Initiative get started ?

I grew up watching my uncles’ work as public vehicle drivers, conductors and cleaners. From this upbringing, I did not see the matatu industry as a lost cause but as a misunderstood and neglected industry. My family grew financially through the industry. At one time, I was physically assaulted by public vehicle conductors while the rest of the public transport operators stood by and watched. How could I reconcile the two realities? As a result FLONE initiative came into being. For several years, through FLONE Initiative, I have been working with the main aim of improving the lives of public transport operators, creating safe spaces for women in the public transport network and changing the matatu industry for the better.

NPI: What are the overall goals of the FLONE Initiative?

a. To be the premier workforce development organization for public transport workers.

b. To Prevent sexual harassment and violence in the Kenyan public transport industry

c. To be the leading authority on the status of women in transportation

NPI:  What are the details of the FLONE Initiative’s Public Safety Certification Program?

The public safety certification program trains public transport providers on prevention of sexual violence, gender equality, customer service and on personal and professional development. Another focus area is increasing reporting of sexual violence through the use of a crowd mapping platform and SMS reporting platforms. We also strive overall to create awareness on the prevalence of sexual violence meted against women in the Kenyan public transport network.

NPI: How many people working in the public transportation sector has your initiative trained so far?

The FLONE Initiative has so far trained 312 public transport workers in Bungoma, Githurai 45, Kisumu, Nyeri and Nakuru. These are public transport networks with most recurring incidences of violence.

NPI: What are the biggest challenges facing women who use public transport in Kenya?

Transportation influences access to education, jobs, health services and social activities. Men are more likely to have access to private means of transport than women. Thus, making public transport safe for the women and girls will enable women to easily get access to services whenever they need to. For instance a woman can attend evening classes without fear of victimization while using public transport.

NPI: What has the response been from the transportation sector?

Many have embraced the initiative and are very much willing to work with us while others feel it a lost battle.

NPI: How have women responded to your organization’s efforts?

Response so far is very positive since many view the program as a solution to a problem that has been affecting them for such a long time.

NPI:  How can women report the sexual harassment they face? 

By alerting the Initiative website on the Ushahidi platform or by simply calling the helpline No.1195

NPI:  How effective has the police system and judicial system been in combating sexual harassment? Do perpetrators face justice in Kenya?

There are currently 6 public transport operators in jail for stripping a lady in Kayole. The victim forgave the perpetrators and made a formal request to withdraw the case but the DPP intervened stating that the case was a matter of public state hence, could not be withdrawn by the victim. There are 5 perpetrators in court for sexually assaulting a lady by inserting a bottle in a matatu. In both of these cases, bail was denied. Sadly most of these incidences go unreported, and those that are reported lack enough evidence and/or follow-up to persecute perpetrators.

NPI: What are the main challenges the FLONE Initiative faces in combating sexual harassment in the public transportation sector?

Funding to implement and upscale the public safety certification program is the FLONE Initiative’s main challenge.

NPI: What would you like to see improved overall in the matatu sector from the perspective of women passengers and workers and what do you think the government needs to do to make these improvements?

That women and girls feel safe while using the matatus as well as more women venturing in the public transport industry for career opportunities. We commend the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) efforts to ensure women’s safety and security in public transport by suspending SACCOs (matatu cooperatives) found guilty of harassing women. The government needs to ensure that matatu workers who are perpetrators of violence are seriously punished in accordance to the law. The perpetrators of uncouth habits should also be severely punished by denying them licenses to operate. Additionally, those doing well should be rewarded and used as models for the other.

NPI: Will Nairobi’s new Nairobi Metropolitan Area Transportation Authority (NaMATA) have any initiatives or resources to combat sexual harassment?

NaMATA through its partnership with the County Government of Nairobi hopes to improve and manage the transport systems to make it efficient, safe, reliable and sustainable. In regards to resources or initiatives to combat sexual harassment so far we are not aware of any.

NPI: What are some of your activities and how can people get involved?

Currently, we are implementing the Usalama wa Uma Program. The program engages public transport operators by offering trainings on gender equality and prevention of sexual violence, customer service, and in personal and professional development. Individuals and organizations can support us both in kind and financially. Moreover, by working together to stop perpetration of harassment as it occurs on the streets and matatu terminals will be of such great help. We are also implementing the Women In Transportation Program (WITrans). WITrans aims to identify and bridge workforce gap in the transportation industry by promoting careers for women in the transportation industry. WITrans ultimately aims to attract, retain and advance women in the transportation industry.

NPI:  Is the Flone Initiative partnering with any other organizations attempting to combat sexual harassment too?

Yes. Flone Initiative has partnered with Men Engage Kenya Network (MENKEN) to train public transport operators on gender and sexuality and on prevention of sexual harassment.

With sexual harassment of women happening across so many differentiating factors like nationality, ethnicity, race, religion and age, what do you believe the root causes of this behavior are? When men are taught to be dominant and aggressive, this often leads to negative masculinity as a result they tend to prove their prowess by harassing women and girls who are viewed as the weaker sex.

NPI: Are there other methods Kenyans should be utilizing to combat sexual harassment too?

Yes, by promoting men’s positive roles in preventing violence against women. Work with men and boys will need to be scaled up. To truly transform gender inequalities, we must go beyond scattered, small-scale interventions and efforts (no matter how effective), towards systematic, large-scale, and coordinated efforts.

NPI: What message do you have for the men reading this interview?

Don’t watch as a woman is being harassed and do nothing. Instead stand out and bring sanity to the situation. Remember this could be your sister, mother, wife or daughter. Together we can make the difference.

NPI:What message do you have for the women reading this interview?

Let us work together to ensure that the streets are safe for us and our daughters. Condemn the undressing vice whenever you see it happen. The public transport offers careers as any other sector, and it is high it we ventured into it boldly and fearlessly .

NPI: What does the future look like for the FLONE Initiative; what are the organizations goals for the coming years?

FLONE’s future is very bright,In the coming years, we hope to see the following: public transport certification  incorporated in driving school curriculums, behavioral change in the power dynamics between men and women, more women venturing into the public transport workforce, structures  in place to increase reporting and prosecution of sexual harassment cases, and finally that the success of Flone Initiative programs is replicated in other African countries.

For more information on the FLONE Initiative visit their website or join their facebook page

Naomi Wwaura can also be contacted at [email protected]

By Simon Kokoyo

Open air traders or street vendors have become a common feature along busy roads of Nairobi.  Their welfare is of concern when it comes to road or railway expansion which often affects these hard working people trying to survive. After all, we know the informal economy employs a high number of people who would otherwise be in desperate straits. Unfortunately, the major infrastructure development taking place in Nairobi is slowly creating displacements and destruction of small scale businesses thus increasing vulnerability levels in Nairobi.

This is despite some traders being lucky enough to access relocation or disturbance allowance as with case of Outer Ring Open Air Traders. The journey towards compensation is a story in and of itself. Mr. Maina an open air trader along Outer Ring road says this story is one that he would wish to forget. Mr. Maina once owned a vibrant tree nursery and a thriving shoeshine business, but he only managed to relocate his shoeshine business while the tree seedlings were all vandalized.

It all started with a 2014 petition by the open air traders addressed to Kenya Urban Roads Authority and African Development Bank after realizing that both project appraisal and EIA study reports had not fully captured their plight as open air traders. According a study conducted by AfDB, 445 informal traders (hawkers and petty traders) were identified as working along the 13km road a figure which open air traders thought was on the lower side considering Mtindwa Market alone had more than 300 such traders.

Accessing formal employment is not easy for most residents from poor neighborhoods bordering the road corridor. This has led to people starting small businesses next to the road since many residents walk to work and thus they can attract customers on the roadside. The road plays an important link to three industrial zones namely; Kariobangi Light Industries, Baba Dogo and Industrial Area. This has created an opportunity for open air traders to sell their wares easily. Nairobi County markets along the road corridor have been full for the last five years and no new markets have been constructed. Both the national and county governments have not invested in the construction of new markets or spaces for open air traders. This has made it difficult to accommodate the ever increasing number of open air traders and consequently resulted in traders invading walk paths.

The open air traders or street vendors are disadvantaged when negotiating for compensation as “Project Affected People” (PAPs) as they are called in reports  because of the informal nature of their operation and contentious issues related to the space occupied. Seventy five open air traders selling different wares along Outer Ring Road who were not included in the initial RAP discovered it was not a walk in park to face Kenya Roads Authority . Even accessing the final list of PAPs was a challenge. Formal and legally registered entities had their businesses valuation exercises fairly conducted and paid accordingly but open air traders were paid a blanket fee of Kshs. 15,000 (150 USD) as relocation allowance. Kenya, the African's Silicon Valley, has developed an interest in virtual currencies like bitcoin and some of the individual outlets are accepting virtual currencies. However, on the other side it isn't growing much as the Central Bank of Kenya has forbidden the banks from dealing with vitual currencies. Some of the young crypto traders are very much keen in automated trading bots like bitcoinup to make a desirable profit effortlessly.

The World Bank and AfDB seem to have a clear policies on how issue of PAPs should be handled given that both have fully fledge departments to handle emerging complaints and conflicts on projects being funded by their institutions. This contrasts with how our road agencies such as KenHa, KURA and Kerra operate, even though we have a strong constitution that protects rights and also a new law, the  Prevention, Protection and Assistance to Internally Displaced Persons and Community Affected Persons Act 2012 to give this life. Usually, civil servants in these institutions are more concerned with building the road regardless of the consequences and generally are very slow in responding to concerns raised by PAPs. The government as well as development partners such as European Union, World Bank and AfDB need to play a more critical role in ensuring economic rights of PAPs are fully guaranteed in these projects as is required by Kenyan law.

Compensating project affected persons does not always lead to improved socio-economic status. This is the case with Outer Ring Road. Now, we have a small population of former open air traders who have been impoverished despite being compensated relocation allowance since they lost access to their customers and relocation is not actually a simple process. The Outer Ring Road experience is showing  that paying PAPs an allowance is not enough.

Mega road projects cutting through densely populated areas disrupt existing social networks. Loans advanced to the government will do better if they could be inclusive of expanding existing social amenities such markets and construction of modern market instead of assuming the government will take its responsibility seriously. This process should be concurrent with the project being undertaken. It is now over four years since the Thika Superhighway was constructed and accessing Githurai market near the roundabout has become more chaotic and dangerous for the pedestrians as the newly constructed walk path and bicycle track have been invaded by open air traders since the market was never relocated, expanded or even constructed. Often, the road agencies pass this responsibility onto counties when they should be working together to mitigate these negative impacts of roads. It is also very poor design on the part of the  road agencies if they do not accommodate all users  of streets in a reasonable way. Githurai market and its activities have obvious high economic value to society.

In general, the road sector has more than a dozen agencies and regulations focusing on traffic, road construction, maintenance among others but none that properly addresses open air traders / street vendors working along the road corridor. This is unfortunate considering that compensating PAPs and acquiring land for projects expansion usually takes a big budget. Often large compensation is paid to land speculators who drive up the prices of these projects while the poor are not compensated and supported adequately. The financing agencies seem to have a fairly well documented involuntary resettlement policy which also reinforces Kenyan law- the government agencies involved in infrastructure development need to follow these policies and law. The open air traders help create much needed jobs . Roads are supposed to support productivity not destroy it so maybe it is high time the government takes a more holistic approach to protecting this economic activity when it is building needed infrastructure.

See also A Look at the Social impacts of the Outer Ring Road Project

 Simon Kokoyo grew up in Mathare. He has worked for the Spatial Collective and is a board member of the Reality Tested Youth Programme, a community organization that serves the youth in Huruma, Kaimaiko and Mathare areas. He has a blog about Mathare http://matharevalley.wordpress.com/