By Justus Bwonderi

Tales of Kibera’s flying toilets and Mathare’s violence often dominate the global imagination of urban informality in Kenya—a vast, dense sea of iron-sheet roofs representing urban hardship and hardened hordes of impoverished urban outcasts at their extreme. Yet, to focus solely on Mathare and Kibera is to misunderstand the true nature of Kenya’s slum phenomenon. Urban informality is not a monolith; it is a spectrum. From the nascent, sparsely populated settlements on the fringes of rapidly growing towns like Naivasha and Wajir to the dense, established but underserved neighbourhoods in Kisumu, and finally to the hyper-congested realities of Mathare and Kibera in Nairobi, Kenya’s urban communities thrive in continuum of informality.

This continuum forms the central framework of the Second Kenya informal Settlement Improvement Project, a step up from its predecessor Kenya Informal Settlements Improvement Project (KISIP2). The evolution KISIP into its second phase came with a more nuanced focus expanding to socio-economic inclusion and slum prevention, has been significantly impactful precisely because it acknowledges this range of informality and the attendant diverse vulnerabilities. For a national strategy to succeed, it must offer a toolkit, not a single blueprint, and respond to the specific point each community occupies on this continuum.

KISIP with its priority focus on infrastructure development, primarily targeted the extreme end of the spectrum—the Kiberas and Mathares. Here, the installation of storm drains, and sanitation blocks was a foundational to address a public health crisis. However, this approach is ill-suited for a settlement like Manyani in Nakuru, Majaoni in Mombasa, Keumbu in Kisii or sections of Nyalenda in Kisumu. These are more established, less densely packed areas where the primary issue may not be a total lack of pipes, but a chronic inadequacy of essential services, precarious land tenure, and a desperate need for livelihood opportunities.

It is at the other end of the continuum, however, that the most innovative potential of KISIP 2 lies: slum prevention. On the outskirts of counties like Uasin Gishu or Machakos, new informal settlements are emerging as urban populations swell and push the boundaries of urban metropolis. These are the "slum-risk" areas—places where new migrants cobble together shelters on unserviced land. Here, the prevention agenda becomes critical opportunity with focus on pre-emption beyond mere upgrading. Instead of waiting a decade for these areas to become the next Kibera, KISIP 2’s strategy involves taking collaborative proactive, preventative measures with the counties. This includes the complex but essential work of developing strategic plan that include land tenure regularization, giving residents the legal security to invest in their homes; planned, upfront provision of basic water, sanitation, and electricity thus making the settlements formal, and safe for development options.

Justus, is a Sociology Consultant at KISIP2 and holds a doctorate in Sociology and Social Anthropology specializing in urban sociology, social policy, climate justice, and sustainable community development.