This book documents the processes, challenges and related successes of a pilot project on slum upgrading in Soweto East villages of Kibera informal settlement, Nairobi. As a post project intervention assessment report, it focuses on distilling lessons learnt and best practices with a view of informing future strategies and policy decisions on slum upgrading interventions for similar urban settlements in any part of the world.

The process of community engagement and their role as an integral part of the Kenya Slum Upgrading Programme structure is a clear manifestation of the importance of public private partnership in forging a common front for the improvement of living standards for the slum populace.

Les villes camerounaises, particulièrement les plus grandes d’entre elles, sont confrontées à de nombreuses difficultés liées à la prolifération de l’habitat spontané, à l’insalubrité, à l’enclavement de certains quartiers sous intégrés, à l’insécurité, au chômage et à la montée du grand banditisme. Au rythme actuel d’urbanisation (5% de croissance en moyenne annuelle), près de 60 % de la population camerounaise vivront dans les villes à l’horizon de 2015. 

Actuellement, 67% de la population urbaine du Cameroun vivent dans des bidonvilles. Il faut aussi savoir que dans les villes du Cameroun, plus de 80% des transactions foncières sont réalisées de manière informelle. Les populations pauvres qui habitent dans les quartiers spontanés ont créé des circuits de construction directs et économiques.  L’insuffisance de l’offre des services de base est l’un des principaux constats qui a été faits lors des consultations réalisées dans les villes du Cameroun.

Ce problème est beaucoup plus accentué dans les quartiers à habitat spontané.  Dans l’ensemble des villes du Cameroun, 86,2% des ménages ont accès à l’eau potable, cette proportion atteint 71,5% pour les ménages urbains qui vivent dans les zones d’habitat spontané.

Petite ville côtière du Cameroun, Kribi est située à la croisée de trois importantes routes nationales (P-8, N-7 et N-17). Dotée d’une population totale de plus de 60,000 habitants et située dans un lieu privilégié, elle dispose donc d’atouts important au niveau économique tel le tourisme et l’existence d’un port maritime bien positionné.

L’une des priorités identifiée dans ce document consiste à réaliser dans les quartiers à habitat spontané de Kribi de grandes trames pouvant faciliter la circulation et permettre aux populations d’améliorer leurs logements. Le renforcement des capacités des filles et des femmes constitue aussi une priorité bien ciblée par les élus locaux et la population, qui ont activement collaboré à la réalisation de ce profil urbain.

Mavoko is situated in Machakos District some 25 km south east of Nairobi. It has an estimated population of 65,000 and is popularly known as Athi River. Mavoko appears to offer a good opportunity for the expansion of the Nairobi Metropolitan Region and therefore, the area is of strategic importance.

Mavoko’s rapid growth, however, has led to an explosive growth of slums around strategic locations close to industries and other places of employment.

Nairobi has the highest growth rates per annum compared to the other growth rates in Africa. 75% of the urban population growth is absorbed by informal settlements. The number of urban population living in slums will double in the next 15years.

Informal settlements cover only 5% of the total residential land area of the city, but they are inhabited by at least half of the city’s population.

The Kenya Urban Sector Study is a rapid appraisal of the urban sector needs in Kenya. It looks at the necessities of towns from Governance, Slums, Gender and Environment point of view and it proposes projects.

The Port of Spain Urban Profiling consists of an accelerated, action-oriented assessment of urban conditions, focusing on priority needs, capacity gaps, and existing institutional responses at local and national levels. The purpose of the study is to develop urban poverty reduction policies at local, national, and regional levels, through an assessment of needs and response mechanisms, and as a contribution to the wider-ranging implementation of the Millennium Development Goals.

The study is based on analysis of existing data and a series of interviews with all relevant urban stakeholders, including local communities and institutions, civil society, the private sector, development partners, academics, and others. The consultation typically results in a collective agreement on priorities and their development into proposed capacity-building and other projects that are all aimed at urban poverty reduction.

The San Fernando Urban Profiling consists of an accelerated, action-oriented assessment of urban conditions, focusing on priority needs, capacity gaps, and existing institutional responses at local and national levels. The purpose of the study is to develop urban poverty reduction policies at local, national, and regional levels, through an assessment of needs and response mechanisms, and as a contribution to the wider-ranging implementation of the Millennium Development Goals.

The study is based on analysis of existing data and a series of interviews with all relevant urban stakeholders, including local communities and institutions, civil society, the private sector, development partners, academics, and others. The consultation typically results in a collective agreement on priorities and their development into proposed capacity-building and other projects that are all aimed at urban poverty reduction.

The evaluation assessed the performance of the Slum Upgrading Facility (SUF) and its associated projects in the four pilot countries: Ghana,Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Tanzania. The evaluation was requested by the donors of the SUF Programme i.e., the Governments of Norway, Sweden/Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency and the Department for International Development of theUnited Kingdom.

It also responded to UN-Habitat Governing Council Resolution 20/11 which requested for an independent evaluation of the SUF pilot phase to inform decision making on how to proceed with the project. The evaluation found that one of the main outcomes of the pilot phase was the establishment of the local finance facilities which represent an important innovation that has the potential for impacting the lives of millions of slum dwellers, not only in the four pilot countries but throughout the developing world.