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Mathare

Coordinates:1°15′36″S36°51′43″E/ 1.26000°S 36.86194°E/-1.26000; 36.86194
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The Mathare Valley slum

Mathareis a collection ofslumsinNairobiwith a population of approximately 500,000 people;[1]the population ofMathare Valleyalone, the oldest of the slums that make up Mathare, is 180,000 people. Mathare is the home offootballteamsMathare Unitedand Real Mathare of theMYSA.[2]Mathare is currently part of two electoral constituencies; the titularMathare Constituencyand the northern part being inRuaraka Constituency.The northern part was initially part ofKasarani Constituencyup to the2013 electionswhen Kasarani was split into three electoral constituencies; Ruaraka being among them. The southern part was domiciled inStarehe Constituency.

Gang violence

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In 2006, Mathare was damaged by violence between rival gangs theTaliban(not to be confused with theIslamist groupof the same name), aLuogroup, and theMungiki,aKikuyugroup.[1]Brewers of an illegal alcoholic drink,chang'aa,asked the Taliban for help after the Mungiki tried to raise their taxes on the drink; since then, fighting between the two has led to the burning of hundreds of homes and at least 10 deaths.[1]Police entered the slum on November 7, 2006, and theGeneral Service Unitarrived a day later. However, many residents who fled are still afraid to return.[1]

On June 5, 2007, the Mungiki murdered two police officers in Mathare; the same night, police retaliated by killing 22 people and detaining around 100.[3]

Following the controversialpresidential electionsthat took place on December 27, 2007, gangs of Kikuyu and Luo youth engaged in violent fights and burned more than 100 homes.[4]

See also

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Further reading

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  • Rodriguez-Torres, Deyssi. "Public authorities and urban upgrading policies in Eastlands: the example of 'Mathare 4A Slum Upgrading Project." In: Charton-Bigot, Hélène and Deyssi Rodriguez-Torres (editors).Nairobi Today: The Paradox of a Fragmented City.African Books Collective,2010. p. 61-96.ISBN9987080936,9789987080939. The source edition is an English translation, published byMkuki na Nyota Publishers Ltd.[1]ofDar es Salaam,Tanzaniain association with theFrench Institute for Research in Africa(IFRA)[2]The book was originally published in French asNairobi contemporain: Les paradoxes d'une ville fragmentée,Karthala Editions(Hommes et sociétés,ISSN 0993-4294). French version article: "Les pouvoirs publics et les politiques de reenovation urbaine aa Eastlands L'exemple du « Mathare 4A Slum Upgrading Project »", p. 101-146.
  • De Lame, Danielle. "Grey Nairobi: Sketches of Urban Socialities." In: Charton-Bigot, Hélène and Deyssi Rodriguez-Torres (editors).Nairobi Today: The Paradox of a Fragmented City.African Books Collective,2010. p. 167-214. French version article: "Gris Nairobi: Esquisses de sociabilités urbaines."p. 221-284.ISBN2845867875,9782845867871.
    • Includes a section on Mathare, titled "Mathare: Valley of Blood and Tears", p. 205-209 (In French: "Mathare: vallée de sang et de larmes", p. 272-277).
  • "Mathare Valley. A Case Study of Uncontrolled Settlement in Nairobi."University of Nairobi,Housing Research and Development Unit. GITEC Consult (1995).
  • "Mathare 4A Development Programme Feasibility Study Report." Ministry?
  • Reback, Andrew. "Slum Upgrading Case Study: Nairobi’s Mathare 4A."September 2007.

References

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  1. ^abcdGettleman, Jeffrey (2006-11-10)."Chased by Gang Violence, Residents Flee Kenyan Slum".The New York Times.Retrieved2006-11-10.
  2. ^"Mathare United".Mathare United Football Club. Archived fromthe originalon 2009-08-07.Retrieved2006-11-11.
  3. ^"Police in Kenya Kill 22 in Gun Battles Over Sect".The New York Times.2007-06-07.
  4. ^Jeffrey Gettleman,"Disputed Vote Plunges Kenya Into Bloodshed",The New York Times,December 31, 2007.
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1°15′36″S36°51′43″E/ 1.26000°S 36.86194°E/-1.26000; 36.86194

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