Above photo: Residents of Mathare inaugurating the Wangari Maathai Park. Mathare Social Justice Center.
In Nairobi’s Informal Settlements.
After heavy rains caused massive devastation in the country’s urban settlements, residents in Mathare organized to rebuild their community.
In April 2024, relentless heavy rains wreaked havoc across Kenya, plunging the country into a humanitarian crisis. The devastation claimed at least 270 lives, displaced over 200,000 people, and obliterated livelihoods, infrastructure, and property. Among the hardest-hit areas was Mathare, one of Nairobi’s largest informal settlements, where over 40 lives were lost as the Mathare River burst its banks, flooding vast portions of the community.
For the residents of Mathare, mostly low-income earners, the flooding was catastrophic. Families were stranded, homes were submerged, and lives were uprooted in the blink of an eye. Yet, as they struggled to cope with the tragedy, an even harsher blow struck. The government ordered demolitions, declaring that many of the homes were on riparian land or in flood-prone areas. Entire communities that had called these areas home for decades watched in anguish as bulldozers, protected by police, tore down their homes. Meanwhile, more affluent neighborhoods situated on similar riparian land, such as Muthaiga, remained untouched in a glaring display of inequality and systemic neglect.
These demolitions caused despair not only in Mathare but also in other informal settlements like Mukuru and Kariobangi. With no proper relocation plans or land allocations for the displaced, with the affected communities facing an uncertain future. In a press statement, the Mathare Social Justice Centre (MSJC) condemned the government’s actions: “Under the guise of saving us from nature, this government has destroyed the livelihoods of millions of Kenyans through illegal demolitions in Mathare, Mukuru, Kariobangi, and other informal settlements, without a proper relocation plan or land allocation for victims.”
What happened in Mathare is part of a larger neoliberal problem affecting urban centers in the Global South. At least 1 billion people worldwide live in slums and informal settlements without formal access to water, sewage, or electricity. In Kenya, nearly 61% of urban households reside in slums. Informal settlements occupy just 5% of Nairobi’s total residential land but house at least half of the city’s population. These areas offer the only affordable housing options for many, pushing residents into crammed small spaces with minimal infrastructure and services. When disasters strike, as they did in April, the vulnerability of these communities is laid bare.
Amidst the destruction, a tremendous spirit of resilience and unity emerged from the people of Mathare. Determined to reclaim their environment and rebuild their lives, young people and community members joined forces to transform despair into hope. About 22 groups spearheaded efforts to rehabilitate their surroundings, setting up community parks and safe spaces for children. They also turned to urban farming, promoting food sovereignty while creating income-generating opportunities. The community’s resolve is to build a future rooted in dignity and self-reliance.
And the months of relentless organizing and hard work culminated in the rehabilitation of a section of the demolished space in Mathare. On December 10, 2024, Human Rights Day, the community celebrated the launch of the Wangari Maathai Park, named in honor of Kenya’s Nobel Laureate and environmental activist. The event was attended by her daughter, Wanjira Maathai, activist Boniface Mwangi, and a representative of Martha Karua, who read her solidarity message.
Speaking to Waringa, an advocate with the MSJC, she remarked: “The park is a site of struggle and a unifying space for addressing social justice questions. Urban farming has shaped up very well, but not without resistance from the state. There have been constant arrests of young men around the park, who have now become ecological defenders criminalized on trumped-up charges of creating disturbance and incitement.”
The founding of such a community park also raises important questions about public spaces in informal settlements, where they are virtually non-existent. Njeri Mwangi, a community organizer and member of the MSJC, added: “The demolitions were deliberate, targeting the poor for the benefit of a few. Ecological justice has led the charge to rehabilitate and occupy our spaces. The farming initiative has helped rehabilitate individuals from drugs and crime while providing a public space for community assemblies. Over the last three months, we have held meaningful assemblies in this park.”
She continued: “Mathare has existed here for years. This land is ours. The park’s productivity, while being owned by the community, challenges the notion of individualism and land hoarding. It showcases the continued resilience of Mathare’s people. Despite harassment and brutality, the people of Mathare wake up daily and organize.”
And in that spirit of resilience by the community, the Wangari Maathai Park was successfully launched. Now children swing, trees will grow to honor martyrs, and seeds for justice will continue to be planted in Mathare.
Nicholas Mwangi is a member of the Ukombozi Library in Kenya.