AbstractsPolitical Science

This project sets out to investigate: How, and to which extent, does the Government of Kenya (GoK) and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) influence the livelihoods of the slum dwellers in Kibera, Nairobi? We firstly do this by looking at the political history of Kenya which is used to better understand the role of politics in Kenya. This is followed by an insight into how Nairobi has progressed according to ideals of urban development in third world countries. A characterisation of weak states is applied to Kenya to identify indicators of fragility that have an effect it's ability to provide services to its citizens, and its impact in Kibera. The relation between the GoK and CSOs is analysed, as CSOs play an important role in Kibera and Kenya in general. To add a more concrete perspective, two specific NGOs working in Kibera are chosen (the Nubian Rights Forum and the Kibera Law Centre). From all of this, it can be concluded Kibera has been an area that has to a large extent been neglected by the GoK, while CSOs have undertaken this role. The cooperation between the GoK and these NGOs is however still lacking.