Floods, dumping and pollution test Kenya’s smart city ambitions

Nairobi's flooding, illegal dumping, pollution and encroachment on fragile ecosystems are exposing weaknesses in Kenya's urban planning system.

The failures raised questions about the country's ambition to build smart and sustainable cities at the second edition of the Smart Cities Forum in Nairobi.

According to experts, poor policy implementation, weak governance and limited community participation continue to undermine efforts to make urban areas safer, more liveable and environmentally sustainable.

Speaking at the forum on Friday, Patrick Silili Adolwa, a fellow of the Kenya Institute of Planners, said Kenya's problem was not necessarily a shortage of plans but the failure to implement them.

"Many times we make plans because we have the mandates to make plans,” he explained. “We need to move away from a situation where we make plans because we are mandated to make plans.”

He argued that urban development had for too long focused on constructing roads and buildings without adequately considering employment, livelihoods and the conditions to sustain populations.

Read: Lessons Nairobi can learn from Beijing’s battle against traffic

Some plans, he added, fail to meet climate resilience and environmental thresholds.

“More often than not, it is a governance problem,” he said.

Mr Adolwa noted that decisions were often influenced by political and economic interests rather than cities' long-term needs.

“The presence of technically competent people doesn't mean that good plans will be made,” he said, “good plans depend on quality leadership.”

“Kenya needs to rethink the distribution of urban growth,” Mr Adolwa said.

Safrina Irungu, a member of the UN-Habitat Youth Advisory Board and the Mathare Roots Initiative, emphasised that a city's smartness should be judged by the experiences of the people living in it.

“Are we happy with where we live? Are we happy with our surroundings?” She asked. “Are we happy with our homes?”

Her concerns are informed by the March 2024 floods, which affected homes along the Nairobi River, including those belonging to her parents.

Lives were lost, children missed school, and women struggled to return to work.

“Most of the people who were living along the Nairobi River were affected, especially my parents. Lives were lost. Kids were not going to school,” she said.

Ms Irungu said her community had begun transforming dumping sites into playgrounds and green spaces, recognising that residents in informal settlements also needed access to environmental amenities enjoyed elsewhere in Nairobi.

Young people helped identify spaces for recreation and greenery.

But young people involved in environmental initiatives needed more than encouragement to volunteer. They required protective equipment, institutional support and opportunities to earn a living.

Read: How Kenya’s changing climate is reshaping who gets sick

She said communities should be involved in planning because residents understand their neighbourhoods' environmental challenges.

“They are the solutions to our own problems. We know where floods have happened. We know where the playground should be instituted. Community should be consulted first,” she said.

Ms Verónica García Gutiérrez, Costa Rica's Ambassador to Kenya and Permanent Representative to UNON, UNEP and UN-Habitat, said environmental protection should not be treated as an obstacle to economic development but as an essential part of it.

“Environmental protection becomes transformative when it's embedded in institutions,” she said, “and economic incentives and development strategies of the country.”

National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) believes that smart cities should use technology to improve vehicle safety, regulate emissions, reduce congestion and make public transport more efficient.

“Vehicle inspections should check emissions and mechanical condition,” Nashon Kondiwa, Director General, NTSA said.

However, he warned that cities must prepare for the environmental implications of the growing electric vehicle market.

“Cities must start planning how these batteries are going to be disposed. The date at which we are registering EV vehicles, my friends, you better plan now,” he said.

He urged urban planners to prioritise mass public transport, noting that only about six per cent of Nairobi residents use private vehicles, while the majority rely on walking, matatus and buses.

“Not everyone in that city will be driving,” he said. “There are people who definitely need mass, organised mass transport,” he said.

Designing and constructing infrastructure

The Engineers Board of Kenya also warned that smart cities depended on the quality and capacity of professionals designing and constructing infrastructure.

Acting Registrar and Chief Executive Officer Grace Onyango said Kenya needed to strengthen engineers' capacity and enforce professional standards.

“Our cities will only be as good as the quality of engineers while building capacity of engineers to global standards,” she said.

Smart Cities Forum provided a platform for professionals to examine their role in addressing urban challenges and preventing a repeat of past failures.

“Smart cities depend on standards, empowered professionals and safety,” Ms Onyango said

James Sogoti, Nation Media Group Chief Commercial Officer, urged institutions to work with credible media organisations to communicate their work and keep public conversations on urban development alive.

“Communicating the work done is just as important as carrying it out,” he said.

jmwangi@[email protected]

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