Capturing an understanding of kanju (a specific creativity born from African difficulty) is the theme that runs through Olopade’s excellent take on Africa’s informal sector, says Jamie Hitchen.
Edward Paice asks that as we mark the Great War’s centenary the courage, suffering and sacrifice of those – combatant and non-combatant alike – caught up in the "maelstrom of gigantic proportions" in Africa are also remembered.
On the first anniversary of the swearing-in of the devolved Nairobi County government, Edward Paice looks at progress made and the significant challenges that lie ahead.
Hannah Gibson interviewed Irene Karanja who heads a Kenya-based federation of slum-dwellers. They discussed the anti-eviction movement in Kenya and the federation’s partnership with the University of Nairobi.
Professor Ngau describes how the University of Nairobi and other institutions have sought to revitalise – and make more progressive – the education and training that Kenyan planners receive.
Steve Ouma offers a historical insight into the growth of Kenya’s urban centres and argues that policies have been defined by colonial legacies, state-sanctioned slum evictions and a refusal to acknowledge the rights of the poor.
In conversation with Hannah Gibson, Victoria de Menil argues that a greater role can – and should – be played by community-based providers to address mental health needs in Kenya.
Rapid urbanisation is being portrayed – by the UN, the World Bank and many others – as a potential developmental “silver bullet” for Africa. Edward Paice argues these claims are too simplistic and overly-optimistic.
