Mombasa

Mombasa is one of the oldest cities in Kenya, second only after Nairobi. It is the largest port in East Africa, and also a major tourist destination. Mombasa attracts a lot of workers from different parts of Kenya and other countries in the region, influencing the growth of informal settlements. In Mombasa, about 40 percent of the population lives in slums that occupy only 5 percent of the total land area.

Urban SHADE project will work at Tudor Moroto and Matopeni settlements in Mombasa

Tudor Moroto

Tudor Moroto (‘moroto’ means ‘slum’ in Kiswahili), is located in Island District, a key tourism spot. It is an informal settlement and located on government land. It is said that the area was forested and people made illicit brew and hid it there. Over time, those people staked claim to the land, and started living there and even constructed houses that were rented out. However, no one has a title deed in Tudor Moroto. People who settled here first call themselves “owners”, just  by virtue of settling on this land first. The Kenyan government sent bulldozers in 2002 to destroy the houses.

Tudor Moroto, where an estimated 11,000 people live, comprises of seven clusters: Paradise, Simitini, KaaChonjo, Bandarini, Kwa Makaa, Maguniani and Mburukenge. The people in the settlement work in informal labour in the tourism industry, as casual labourers, vendors, fisherfolks among others. 

When the area was first settled, houses had thatched roofs. Over time this transitioned to mud housing and structures are mainly built of iron sheets that are not durable. The area is subject to strong winds, flooding and higher temperatures during summer. 

The settlement got more and more populated over the decades, with houses being built closer and closer to the sea. The people who live closer to the sea are more vulnerable than others, some even using cement bags filled with sand as the foundation of houses, or reinforcement to protect the houses from high tides.

Since the year 2002, residents have continued to face eviction threats from the County government of Mombasa and “land owners”. The communities hesitate to permanently upgrade and build upon the land in fear of being evicted by landowners. They have been advocating for their secure land rights.

People use boreholes to source drinking water as well as piped water. 

There are barely any sanitation facilities, and the majority of people have a sewage pipe directly into the ocean. There is one public toilet provided by the government. Most of the toilets big and small are provided by so-called owners of the houses in the informal settlements, and are a paid service. But the sewer systems are rudimentary. Some of these toilets have pipes throwing sewage in the ocean, while some have just pits that have to be manually cleaned. Most toilets are communally shared among at least five to ten families.

The informal settlement has six private clinics providing healthcare services. It does not have any referral hospital (tertiary level) in close proximity. Residents report paying between Ksh. 1,000 (7.75 USD) to 1,500 (11.63 USD) for healthcare services- a significant financial burden given their economic circumstances. There’s several public health facilities around the informal settlements but they are all 30 minutes to 1 hour away.

Matopeni

“Matopeni” means “muddy areas”. The informal settlement is located near the Kongowea market, perhaps the  biggest market within Mombasa Island. Many people who live here work in the market, or in the city. The settlement sits on government land (about 5 acres) managed by the Municipal Council of Mombasa with private players staking claim to the land.

Private landowners swooped in on the opportunity of building an informal settlement near the market. Nobody here has a land deed, but about half the people who live here call themselves “owners” while half are renting houses. The residents here too are at high risk of eviction and are involved in contestation over the land from the government as well as the private developers who call themselves “owners”.

The settlement is vulnerable to strong winds, droughts, heatwaves, and high temperatures. The poor drainage, and muddy area ensures that the area turns into sludge when it rains, cutting off access to clinics, schools and other critical services during the rains. 

Many houses are built in multi-family Swahili style with a compound and multiple houses. They have iron sheets for roofs. Residents use boreholes and water kiosks for drinking water. Water kiosks are run by private individuals who provide water for cash.

There are a few toilets that are built by the government, but a majority of people here use pit latrines that are not connected to any sewer system. Usually there is a toilet in one multi-family house.

There are two dispensaries in the settlement, but most people initially seek healthcare at informal providers. People complain that the dispensary is ill-equipped, and often shuts down because it gets flooded during the rains. 

Healthcare costs range from Ksh. 100-300, (0.78- 2.33usd). Essential services like vaccinations and ambulance services are unavailable. Because of the poor level of sanitation here diseases such as malaria, cholera, tuberculosis, diarrhea and eye infections are very common.