The fascinating history of how residents named informal settlements in Nairobi

Kibera slum in Nairobi. [File, Standard]

In Kenya’s capital city, Nairobi, it is estimated that over 70 per cent of the population live in informal settlements. Many of these have a history rooted in colonial policies whereby the “African native” was a temporary resident of the city. Africans could only live in the city as registered labourers.

As these informal settlements grew over the years, their names – and the names of places within them – have grown to encapsulate their history.