The fascinating history of how residents named informal settlements in Nairobi

I carried out a study which investigated the naming process of three of Nairobi's largest ghettos; Kibera, Mathare and Mukuru. I also looked at the names of the settlement's "villages", roads and pathways, shops, kiosks and other establishments. I did this using Kenyan and British archives, newspaper records and focus group discussions with long-term residents.

What I found was a testament to historical injustices - such as land grabbing, forceful evictions and arson - and urban inequalities, such as the lack of provision of basic infrastructure. The names gave a voice to residents, representing the issues that they struggle with every day.

What's in a name?

Kibera

Kibera is located about 6km from Nairobi's city centre. It covers an area of 2.5km2 and has a disputed population size ranging from 200,000 to 1 million people. This wide disparity is because of the high number of unregistered people that live there and because many people constantly move in and out. Official statistics can't capture this.

Kibera's history is intricately tied to the Nubian community, originally from Sudan, who were brought into Kenya by the British colonial government to serve in the East African Rifles, a regiment of the British colonial armed forces. They settled in what is Kibera today in the early 1900's.

The settlement's name was initially "Kibra" in the Nubian tongue, meaning forest or jungle. After Kenya's independence in 1963, other African communities settled there. They mispronounced the word and it became "Kibera".

Kibera is currently divided into 13 villages. Many of the village names reflect the settlements' military history. For instance, "Laini Saba", originally known as "Lain Shabaan", refers to a rifle range area. Kibera was also organised into "camps", as happens in military barracks. For instance, the area "Kambi KAR" is named after the Kings African Rifles (KAR) and "Kambi", the Swahili word for "camp".

Since the settlements' inception, Kibera residents have had a tense relationship with government authorities, who sought to evict them. Certain names are a nod to this struggle. For instance, "Soweto East" and "Soweto West" are named after the South African township to pay homage to the 1976 student uprisings against the authorities.

Mathare

Mathare is approximately 6km north-east of Nairobi's central business district. The name "Mathare" comes from the Kikuyu (the largest ethnic group in Kenya) word for Dracena trees.

The settlement has a long history. The first residents arrived in the 1920's. It was known as a historical centre for opposition to the colonial government with residents participating in the Mau Mau anti-colonial movement. This made it a constant target of demolition and arson attacks during the emergency period from 1952 to 1960. The main road cutting through the settlement was named "Mau Mau Road".