It is recognized as the largest urban slum in Africa.
- The settlement began in the early 20th century as housing for Nubian soldiers, with land later occupied by migrants drawn to Nairobi.
- Kibera includes multiple informal “villages” like Gatwekera, Soweto East, Makina, Kisumu Ndogo, among others.
- A significant proportion of its population is young, with estimates indicating 75% under 18 years old and many orphans.
Living Conditions & Challenges
Housing & Infrastructure
- Dwellings are typically small shacks (~12ft × 12ft) built of mud, tin sheets, and dirt floors—often home to large families.
- Only about 10% of residents own their shacks; the rest are tenants with no land rights.
- Infrastructure is extremely limited: there’s no formal sewage, few schools, health clinics, or roads. Sanitation is severely lacking.
Water, Sanitation & Electricity
- Access to clean water is limited. Residents rely on communal taps or vendors charging KES 3 for 20 liters; historical sources recount fetching contaminated water.
- Toilet facilities are scarce—latrines (holes) are commonly shared among dozens of dwellings.
- Only around 20% of the area is connected to electricity, often through illegal or unsafe connections, raising risks of fires and electrocutions.
Health & Social Issues
- Residents face extreme poverty, often earning less than US$2/day.
- Life expectancy can be as low as 30 years, with high infant mortality rates, and diseases such as cholera, typhoid, and respiratory infections are common due to poor sanitation.
- There’s also a high prevalence of HIV (12%), limited schooling options, and general insecurity.
This was a very difficult day for us. The poverty is scary and nothing like we have ever seen. We did buy stuff for the school kids and tried to support a few of the local businesses, but the government has to make massive changes here.
We visited our guides home
A school
and a Market
Special thanks to Lucas and Elijah. We booked on Viator, the Kibera Slum Tour with Lucas. This was eye-opening.
