The November 20, 2024, fire incident in the Pumwani/Majengo slums that claimed seven lives laid bare the systemic marginalization and underdevelopment faced by a historically significant community.
Despite being one of Nairobi’s oldest African settlements, the Old Pumwani/Majengo area has been largely ignored in national and county development plans, leaving its residents grappling with poor living conditions and neglect.
The settlement scheme’s roots trace back to 1920 when it was officially designated as the African Native Location under the oppressive colonial color-bar system. This policy mirrored South Africa’s apartheid regime, reinforcing racial segregation and systemic inequities. The settlement was part of a broader scheme to control and marginalize Nairobi’s indigenous African population.
Semi-permanent mud and wattle houses, built at a cost of £35 each and financed through the Native Brewery Fund, were established to house residents. These structures, with minimal infrastructure, symbolized the colonial government’s disregard for the dignity and well-being of African communities.
In what could be termed as a legacy of neglect post-independence, Pumwani/Majengo continues to bear the brunt of ‘systemic oppression. Despite Kenya gaining independence in 1963, the informal settlement remains entrenched in its colonial-era struggles.
Located just 2.5–3 km from Nairobi’s Central Business District and surrounded by landmarks such as Pumwani Maternity Hospital and the country’s largest open-air Gikomba Market, the settlement’s infrastructural and social development have stagnated.
While some roads like Digo, Lamu, and Munyema Streets are tarmacked, others remain dirt paths that turn into quagmires during the rainy season, cutting off residents from essential services. The lack of secondary sewer systems and water connections to individual households forces residents to rely on communal facilities — a humiliating relic of colonial sanitation systems.
The region has recorded missed opportunities in development initiatives for decades. The introduction of transformative policies and programs over the years, including the 2010 Constitution, devolution, and the Kenya Informal Settlements Improvement Project (KISIP), has done little to uplift Pumwani/Majengo:
Constituency Development Fund (CDF): While CDF was designed to decentralize development, Pumwani/Majengo has seen negligible investment, particularly in road infrastructure upgrades.
Second, the 2010 constitution: Enshrining the right to water and sanitation as a basic human right has not translated into tangible benefits for the settlement’s residents. The slum is still grappling with poor drainage and sewerage system till today.
Introduced in 2013, devolution promised to prioritize grassroots development, yet key interventions such as sanitation and water access remain unrealized in Majengo. Also, Pumwani/Majengo has largely been excluded from the Kenya Informal Settlements Improvement Project (KISIP) launched in 2011 to improve infrastructure and secure land tenure.
However, the KISIP Phase II (2024–2034) offers a glimmer of hope for Old Pumwani/Majengo. With objectives including improved access to basic infrastructure, land tenure regularization, and better sanitation, the program could address long-standing grievances. If effectively implemented, KISIP II promises water and sewerage connections, paved roads, and a significant uplift in the quality of life for residents.
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