Dagoretti : claiming land and space in the city

Authors

  • Raquel Jerobon Technical University of Kenya

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.52907/wahia.v1i1.513

Abstract

The essay examines Dagoretti's transformation in three key moments: Generational Land Ownership: After the Mau Mau uprising, African families, including Mr. N's, were allocated land in Dagoretti. Over three generations, the family's transition from squatters to legal landholders reflects increasing stability and permanence. The second is Rental Income and Demolitions: Informal rental housing has been crucial in Dagoretti, but these structures often face demolition for not meeting city building codes. Despite this, informal settlements persist, highlighting the struggle for space in Nairobi's growing urban landscape. The last moment is the Shift from Agriculture to Residential Use: As Dagoretti urbanized, land values rose, and pressure to sell increased. The tension between maintaining cultural heritage and adapting to urbanization reflects the area’s ongoing transformation and identity struggle.

Author Biography

Raquel Jerobon, Technical University of Kenya

Raquel Jerobon is an urban designer, planner and researcher whose interests are in spatial production processes, people, identity and the relational processes of people and places becoming. She’s pursuing a PhD exploring such processes within extended urban territories in Southern Kenya.

References

Chege, M. (1981). A Tale of Two Slums: Electoral Politics in Mathare and Dagoretti. Review of African Political Economy, 20, 74–88.

Kimari, W. (2023). Resisting imperial erasures: Matigari ruins and relics in Nairobi. Journal of Eastern African Studies. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/17531055.2023.2231787

Kimari, W., & Cap, C. (2022, March 12). Under Fire: Forced Evictions and Arson Displace Nairobi’s Poor - The Elephant. The Elephant. https://www.theelephant.info/analysis/2022/03/12/under-fire-forced-evictions-and-arson-displace-nairobis-poor/

Lines, K., & Makau, J. (2018). Taking the long view: 20 years of Muungano wa Wanavijiji, the Kenyan federation of slum dwellers. Environment and Urbanization, 30(2), 407–424. https://doi.org/10.1177/0956247818785327

Overton, J. (1988). The Origins of the Kikuyu Land Problem: Land Alienation and Land Use in Kiambu, Kenya, 1895-1920. African Studies Review, 31(2), 109–126. https://doi.org/10.2307/524421

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Published

2024-12-31

How to Cite

Jerobon, R. (2024). Dagoretti : claiming land and space in the city. Writing the Arts &Amp; Humanities in Africa, 1(1), 27–37. https://doi.org/10.52907/wahia.v1i1.513

Issue

Volume 1, Number 1, December 2024 (The Dagoretti Experience)

Section

Articles

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Copyright (c) 2024 Raquel Jerobon

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