Mukuru Special Area

In 2020, the National Government and Nairobi County Government (NCCG) endorsed the Mukuru Special Planning Area (SPA): an overarching local development plan that has been under development since 2017 (read more).

The following five thematic clusters are the focus of the current phase of the programme.

Water and Sanitation

Mukuru has deplorable water and sanitation conditions with less than 4,000 pit latrines serving approximately 120,000 families. This dire lack of services prompted the Nairobi County Government to commence an integrated planning process aimed at improving living conditions by providing necessary infrastructure and services. One of the short-term objectives of the plan is to provide piped water and water-borne sanitation to every plot (every ten households) and a prepaid dispenser for every 100 households.  To ensure sustainability AMT has worked closely with the utility company and residents to develop a community-based delegated system for both water and sewer lines.  To ensure that all residents can afford to connect to the sewer, AMT has set up a revolving sanitation fund that supports structure owners with loans to pay for toilet construction and sewer connection fees. Go to the project page

School Feeding Programme

The area covered by the Mukuru SPA has a population of approximately 400,000, which includes about 95,000 school-going children. However, this highly populated area is served by only seven public schools, leading to a proliferation of non-formal and unregulated schools. Research conducted by AMT and its partners in 2023 revealed that of approximately 45,000 children currently enrolled in Mukuru SPA schools,  the bulk (33,000) attend an estimated 150 non-formal schools, which do not have access to the government’s school feeding programme. AMT has launched a subsidized school feeding programme for informal schools, targeting 1,000 learners at cost of KES 5 per plate.  The aim of the project is to demonstrate the feasibility of a school feeding model that is tailored to the unique needs of non-formal schools that can subsequently by adopted at the County level.  Go to the project page.

Waste Management

The sprawling Mukuru settlements lack effective waste management systems, resulting in unsanitary disposal of garbage in the settlement’s drainage systems. This further leads to contamination of important freshwater systems, such as the Ngong River, as well as a heightened flood risk for adjacent settlements. One of the proposed solutions for addressing the significant amount of organic waste produced in the area is Black Soldier Fly Farming. This circular economy model involves recycling organic waste to produce two valuable products: larvae and frass. Larvae serve as a reliable, safe, and affordable source of animal protein, while frass acts as an organic fertilizer. These products are sold to farmers by youth and women groups managing 10 Black Soldier Fly units constructed by AMT and its partners. Go to the project page

Trading to Eat 

Despite its high population, Mukuru faces a shortage of proper markets and relies on just 11 informal, small open-air markets within the settlements or the main city markets. Additionally, residents depend on numerous food vendors who operate small informal businesses throughout the various villages. Unfortunately, these markets and informal food vendor businesses lack essential services such as sanitation, water, solid waste management systems and storage facilities. Mukuru businesses also suffer from insufficient access to affordable credit, as well as insecure trading environments. Under this collaborative project, AMT and TMG working closely with Mukuru food vendors, aim to establish a food vendors association. This association will serve as a platform for engaging with the government, facilitating the identification of suitable spaces for constructing markets, providing training to members, and strengthening their financial management systems to enhance access to affordable credit. Go to project page

Unlocking Mukuru Land Tenure

The bulk of Mukuru residents occupy land that was leased by the government to private entities under specific conditions. The lack of secure tenure has resulted in recurrent evictions of residents, causing them to lose their property, livelihoods, and disrupt their social support systems. It is therefore essential to promptly address the land-related issues in Mukuru as a critical step towards enhancing resilience and protecting investments in the community.  A detailed study has been conducted with consultation with partners from different legal institutions to identify the characteristics of grants issued and provide options to the government on how to deal with these leaseholds. Building on the outcomes of a multidisciplinary research project carried out between 2013 and 2015, AMT and its partners embarked on a long-term advocacy effort to persuade the Nairobi City and Kiambu County Governments to formalize tenure arrangements for residents of four informal settlements. Go to the project page

  

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Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.

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Mukuru Special Area

In 2020, the National Government and Nairobi County Government (NCCG) endorsed the Mukuru Special Planning Area (SPA): an overarching local development plan that has been under development since 2017 (read more).

The following five thematic clusters are the focus of the current phase of the programme.

Water and Sanitation

Mukuru has deplorable water and sanitation conditions with less than 4,000 pit latrines serving approximately 120,000 families. This dire lack of services prompted the Nairobi County Government to commence an integrated planning process aimed at improving living conditions by providing necessary infrastructure and services. One of the short-term objectives of the plan is to provide piped water and water-borne sanitation to every plot (every ten households) and a prepaid dispenser for every 100 households.  To ensure sustainability AMT has worked closely with the utility company and residents to develop a community-based delegated system for both water and sewer lines.  To ensure that all residents can afford to connect to the sewer, AMT has set up a revolving sanitation fund that supports structure owners with loans to pay for toilet construction and sewer connection fees. Go to the project page

School Feeding Programme

The area covered by the Mukuru SPA has a population of approximately 400,000, which includes about 95,000 school-going children. However, this highly populated area is served by only seven public schools, leading to a proliferation of non-formal and unregulated schools. Research conducted by AMT and its partners in 2023 revealed that of approximately 45,000 children currently enrolled in Mukuru SPA schools,  the bulk (33,000) attend an estimated 150 non-formal schools, which do not have access to the government’s school feeding programme. AMT has launched a subsidized school feeding programme for informal schools, targeting 1,000 learners at cost of KES 5 per plate.  The aim of the project is to demonstrate the feasibility of a school feeding model that is tailored to the unique needs of non-formal schools that can subsequently by adopted at the County level.  Go to the project page.

Waste Management

The sprawling Mukuru settlements lack effective waste management systems, resulting in unsanitary disposal of garbage in the settlement’s drainage systems. This further leads to contamination of important freshwater systems, such as the Ngong River, as well as a heightened flood risk for adjacent settlements. One of the proposed solutions for addressing the significant amount of organic waste produced in the area is Black Soldier Fly Farming. This circular economy model involves recycling organic waste to produce two valuable products: larvae and frass. Larvae serve as a reliable, safe, and affordable source of animal protein, while frass acts as an organic fertilizer. These products are sold to farmers by youth and women groups managing 10 Black Soldier Fly units constructed by AMT and its partners. Go to the project page

Trading to Eat 

Despite its high population, Mukuru faces a shortage of proper markets and relies on just 11 informal, small open-air markets within the settlements or the main city markets. Additionally, residents depend on numerous food vendors who operate small informal businesses throughout the various villages. Unfortunately, these markets and informal food vendor businesses lack essential services such as sanitation, water, solid waste management systems and storage facilities. Mukuru businesses also suffer from insufficient access to affordable credit, as well as insecure trading environments. Under this collaborative project, AMT and TMG working closely with Mukuru food vendors, aim to establish a food vendors association. This association will serve as a platform for engaging with the government, facilitating the identification of suitable spaces for constructing markets, providing training to members, and strengthening their financial management systems to enhance access to affordable credit. Go to project page

Unlocking Mukuru Land Tenure

The bulk of Mukuru residents occupy land that was leased by the government to private entities under specific conditions. The lack of secure tenure has resulted in recurrent evictions of residents, causing them to lose their property, livelihoods, and disrupt their social support systems. It is therefore essential to promptly address the land-related issues in Mukuru as a critical step towards enhancing resilience and protecting investments in the community.  A detailed study has been conducted with consultation with partners from different legal institutions to identify the characteristics of grants issued and provide options to the government on how to deal with these leaseholds. Building on the outcomes of a multidisciplinary research project carried out between 2013 and 2015, AMT and its partners embarked on a long-term advocacy effort to persuade the Nairobi City and Kiambu County Governments to formalize tenure arrangements for residents of four informal settlements. Go to the project page

  

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.

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