Introduction
The Global Grid prides itself on being “the pre-eminent destination for urbanist news from locals.” In this article, Residents’ Associations Grow from the Poor Delivery of Services in Nairobi, Kenya, the author Constance Cap eloquently sums up the rationale for the growth of residents associations in Kenya:
The last two decades have seen the development and growth of the City of Nairobi at sporadic levels. The population of the city has grown from 350,000 in 1963 to 3.5 million people today. This has naturally led to the development and growth of more residential areas in low, middle and high income areas. Together, with this growth, citizens have also experienced a continuous drop in the level of services provided by the municipal authorities. The now defunct Nairobi City Council was at one time better known for mismanagement, cartels and corruption scandals than service delivery to residents.
Residents in middle and higher income areas then came together to form residents’ associations with the aim of lobbying for undelivered services. A good number ended up managing neighborhoods by hiring professional staff to meet their needs, charging fees to members (and publishing accounts) and holding democratic elections for leadership positions. Examples of these include Kilimani Project Foundation, Muthaiga Residents Association and Karen – Langata District Association, one of the strongest associations who, through the courts, were exempted from paying Council taxes due to poor service delivery. [read more]
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