Cities of Hope? Governance, Economic, and Human Challenges of Kenya's Five Largest Cities

After many decades of stagnation, Kenyan economy started to grow from the early-2000s. Much of this growth has been attributed to total factor productivity improvements in Kenyan economy arising out of many factors. A large share of this growth originated in urban areas, in the service and manufacturing sectors. These gains also paralleled reduction in poverty and higher enrolment in primary education. Yet, it has been argued that Kenyan cities, especially Nairobi, are not realizing their potential to contribute to economic growth and poverty reduction. Rapid urbanization has left Kenyan cities with huge backlogs in critical infrastructure and basic services, resulting in sprawling, overcrowded and impoverished informal settlements. The management of these cities has been dogged by fragmentation in responsibilities, lack of accountability at the local level, and weak capacities of key institutions. Within 20 years or so, the majority of the Kenyan population are expected be living in urban areas. This scale of urbanization will pose further socio-economic, environmental and institutional challenges for Kenyan cities. The Government's vision 2030 has highlighted rapid urbanization as one of four key challenges for the country alongside income inequality, unemployment and low savings. Despite their notable demographic and economic weights of urban centers in Kenya, there is no single study that gives a comprehensive overview of the urban landscape in Kenya. The objective of this sector work is to fill that gap by documenting and analyzing the situation in Kenya's five largest urban centers. The study aims to provide data and analysis regarding the state of these cities to help inform the evolving urban agenda in Kenya and to provide inputs into the preparation of the Kenya Municipal Program (KMP).

Bibliographic Details

Main Author:	World Bank
Language:	English
Published:	Washington, DC 2008-12
Subjects:	ACCESS TO ELECTRICITY, ADMINISTRATIVE SYSTEM, AIR POLLUTION, ANTI-CORRUPTION, AUTHORIZATION, BRIBERY, BUREAUCRACY, BUSINESS CLIMATE, BUSINESS ENTERPRISES, BUSINESS PERMIT, BUSINESS SERVICES, CENTRAL AGENCIES, CENTRAL GOVERNMENT, CENTRALIZATION, CITIES, CITIES ALLIANCE, CITIZEN, CITIZENS, CITY COUNCILS, CITY DEVELOPMENT, CITY GOVERNMENTS, CITY MANAGEMENT, CITY RESIDENTS, CIVIL SOCIETY, CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONS, COALITIONS, CONSENSUS, CONSTITUENCY, CONSTITUTION, CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS, CONSTITUTIONALISM, COOPERATIVE HOUSING, CRIME, DECENTRALIZATION, DEVOLUTION, DISTRICTS, DYSFUNCTIONAL GOVERNANCE, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, ECONOMIC GROWTH, ECONOMIC PERFORMANCE, EMERGENCY POWERS, ENACTMENT, ENFORCEABILITY, EXECUTION, EXPENDITURE, FINANCIAL HEALTH, FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT, FISCAL ACCOUNTABILITY, FISCAL MANAGEMENT, FOREIGN EXCHANGE, FORMAL EMPLOYMENT, GOOD GOVERNANCE, GOVERNANCE REFORMS, GOVERNMENT AUTHORITY, GOVERNMENT FINANCE, GOVERNMENT MINISTRIES, GOVERNMENT POLICY, GOVERNMENT REVENUES, GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATION, GROWTH RATE, GROWTH RATES, HEAD OF STATE, HUMAN CAPITAL, HUMAN DEVELOPMENT, HUMAN RESOURCE, HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT, INCOME, INCOME GROWTH, INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT, INEQUALITY, INFANT MORTALITY, INFORMAL HOUSING, INFORMAL SECTOR, INFORMAL SETTLEMENTS, INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENTS, INSTITUTIONAL CAPACITY, INSTITUTIONAL CHANGE, INSTITUTIONAL ENVIRONMENT, INSTITUTIONAL REFORMS, INTERGOVERNMENTAL FISCAL RELATIONS, INTERNATIONAL AGENCIES, JUDICIARY, LACK OF ACCOUNTABILITY, LACK OF OWNERSHIP, LAND REFORM, LAND USE, LARGE CITIES, LEGISLATURE, LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT, LOCAL ADMINISTRATIONS, LOCAL AUTHORITIES, LOCAL AUTHORITY, LOCAL GOVERNANCE, LOCAL GOVERNMENT, LOCAL GOVERNMENT INSTITUTIONS, LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, LOCAL LEVEL, LOCAL OFFICIALS, MACROECONOMIC MANAGEMENT, MINISTRY OF FINANCE, MUNICIPAL COUNCILS, MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENTS, NATIONAL INCOME, NATIONAL LEVEL, NATIONS, NATURAL RESOURCES, PARLIAMENT, PARTICIPATORY PLANNING, PER CAPITA INCOME, POLITICAL COMPETITION, POLITICAL CRISIS, POLITICAL DEBATE, POLITICAL ECONOMY, POLITICAL FORCES, POLITICAL INSTABILITY, POLITICAL INTERFERENCE, POLITICAL LEADERS, POLITICAL LEADERSHIP, POLITICAL PARTIES, POLITICAL POWER, POLITICAL STABILITY, POLITICAL UNCERTAINTY, POLITICIANS, POOR PERFORMANCE, PRESIDENCY, PRESIDENTIAL POWERS, PRESIDENTS, PRIMARY EDUCATION, PRIMARY SCHOOL, PRIME MINISTER, PUBLIC, PUBLIC ACCOUNTABILITY, PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION, PUBLIC AGENCIES, PUBLIC EXPENDITURE, PUBLIC HEALTH, PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS, PUBLIC INVESTMENT, PUBLIC INVESTMENTS, PUBLIC OFFICIALS, PUBLIC POLICIES, PUBLIC POLICY, PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS, PUBLIC PROCUREMENT, PUBLIC PROCUREMENT ACT, PUBLIC SERVICE, PUBLIC SERVICE DELIVERY, PUBLIC UTILITIES, QUALITY OF LIFE, QUALITY OF URBAN LIFE, REFERENDUM, REFUGEES, REGULATORY FRAMEWORK, REPRESENTATIVES, RESOURCE ALLOCATION, REVENUE COLLECTION, REVOLUTION, SANITATION FACILITIES, SECURITY OF TENURE, SENATE, SERVICE CHARGE, SERVICE DELIVERY, SERVICE PROVIDERS, SEWERAGE, SLUM AREAS, SLUM DWELLERS, SLUM RESIDENTS, SLUM SETTLEMENTS, SLUM UPGRADING, SLUM UPGRADING PROGRAM, SLUMS, SOCIAL CAPITAL, SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT, SOCIAL INDICATORS, SOLID WASTE, SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT, STAKEHOLDER PARTICIPATION, STAKEHOLDER WORKSHOPS, STAKEHOLDERS, TAX REVENUES, TENURE SECURITY, TOURISM, TOURISTS, TRANSPARENCY, UNEMPLOYMENT, URBAN AREAS, URBAN DEVELOPMENT, URBAN ECONOMY, URBAN GOVERNANCE, URBAN GROWTH, URBAN INFRASTRUCTURE, URBAN INVESTMENT, URBAN MANAGEMENT, URBAN MIGRATION, URBAN POOR, URBAN POPULATION, URBAN POPULATION GROWTH, URBAN POPULATIONS, URBAN POVERTY, URBAN RESIDENTS, URBAN ROADS, URBAN SECTOR, URBAN SERVICES, URBAN SPRAWL, URBAN TRANSITION, URBAN TRANSPORT, URBAN UNEMPLOYMENT, URBANIZATION, UTILITIES, UTILITY COMPANIES, WASTE COLLECTION, WATER SERVICES, YOUNG PEOPLE,
Online Access:	http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2008/12/14041876/cities-hope-governance-economic-human-challenges-kenyas-five-largest-cities https://hdl.handle.net/10986/8024
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