Selected research projects
Project 1 | Rethinking slum upgrading in light of Poverty Penalty
Urban residents living in informal settlements in Nairobi pay a much higher price for house rent, water, electricity and other basic goods and services compared to middle and higher income residents of the City. This extra cost to the poor in accessing basic goods and services is termed as the poverty penalty. Looking at it differently, the fact that slum residents pay a higher price, means that they are willing and able to pay the normal price for the basic services. This presents a unique opportunity in slum upgrading – there exists an economically sustainable path for basic service providers to extend provision to the urban poor.
Project 2 | Financing for shelter in Nairobi
For nearly 50 years the Kenya Government housing policies have sought to [increasingly] enable low income households pay for and own a home in an urban area such as Nairobi. Various financing strategies have been applied towards this goal including subsidizing the cost of the housing unit or the cost of credit, increasing access to long term mortgage capital as well as providing social housing. These strategies have however repeatedly failed in making any meaningful impact on access to adequate housing for all as enshrined in article 43 of the Constitution of Kenya 2010. Against the backdrop of a 84.6% tenancy tenure, this paradigm makes a fundamental assumptions that we seek to validate:
Are Low income Nairobi city residents willing to pay for and own a home in Nairobi?
Project 3 | Mukuru Special Planning Area 7654
On 1st August 2017, the Nairobi City County declared the Mukuru slums consisting of three contiguous informal villages of Mukuru Kwa Njenga, Mukuru kwa Ruben and Viwandani, a Special Planning area vide gazette notice no. 7654.
Among the factors leading up to this declaration was the 3 – year long intensive action based research funded by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) presenting a situational analysis of the special planning and social challenges including the poverty penalty. I am part of a consortium bringing 46 participants ranging from academics and civil society groups to government officials, utilities, and private firms.
Project 4 | Well being in retirement in Kenya
The study takes a qualitative approach. This approach allows us to explore personal experiences and provide a rich, full description and deeper understanding of what it means to be a retiree in Kenya today supplementing quantitative research by helping to inform issues for future research as well as provide deeper meaning relevant for policy considerations.
20 interviews were transcribed and analyzed of participants who have retired with a workplace pension arrangement that is managed by Enwealth Financial Services Limited, a licensed financial services firm in Kenya. The concern for health financing and desire to leave a legacy featured prominently.