Kibera in Nairobi remains one of the world’s largest informal settlements, with census data from 2009 claiming no less than 170,000 residents (though the census count has long inspired claims that the actual number is significantly higher). The slum was originally established due to land regulations relating to housing adjacent to still-active train tracks and eventually became the largest of ten slums located in the Kenyan capital.
A train track runs along a major pedestrian thoroughfare in Kibera (Photo: Adam Nowek)
Street art in the Soweto East neighbourhood of Kibera (Photo: Adam Nowek)
A Kibera resident doing the wash (Photo: Adam Nowek)
Laundry drying in Kibera (Photo: Adam Nowek)
Being the largest slum in Nairobi has brought warranted attention towards the area. Various governance bodies such as the United Nations have engaged the area to improve water availability and the Kenyan government launched an ambitious plan to relocate the entire neighbourhood to brand-new apartments on Kibera’s land. The housing projects, however, have been marred by problems: most substantially, residents do not want to move or, if they do, they end up renting out the flats at rates well above the market price.
A bar advertises its football offerings in Soweto East, Nairobi (Photo: Adam Nowek)
A storefront in Kibera (Photo: Adam Nowek)
Homes in Kibera (Photo: Adam Nowek)
Sellers hawking their wares alongside active train tracks (Photo: Adam Nowek)
House exterior in Kibera (Photo: Adam Nowek)
Positive developments for Kibera’s residents is increasingly coming from within. The Soweto East Resource Centre, located in the Soweto East neighbourhood of Kibera, addresses root causes of health problems, unemployment, and high crime rates by providing basic medical services, directly engaging youth, and offering basic training for essential job skills.
A water station in Kibera, built with assistance from UN-HABITAT (Photo: Adam Nowek)
A road leading into Kibera with government-built flats visible on the right (Photo: Adam Nowek)
Michael Wanjohi of the Soweto East Resource Centre in Kibera (Photo: Adam Nowek)
Computers inside of the Soweto East Resource Centre in Kibera (Photo: Adam Nowek)
You can view the full gallery of photographs on Flickr.
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