The Baraza and the Role of the Public Administration in Informal Settlements: Lived Experiences in the Mukuru Kayaba Informal Settlement, Nairobi, Kenya.
| dc.contributor.author | Ruth Murumba, Alice Kurgat and Donald Wandere. | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2026-05-04T12:43:19Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2026-05-04T12:43:19Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2026-05-04 | |
| dc.description.abstract | This article examines the interactions of informal settlement communities with created spaces for citizen participation. The Baraza is a semi-formal public gathering held in communities at the behest of local administrators. The aims of the baraza are to pass critical information, to deal with rising information in a locality and to collect the views of the local community on certain issues. Although it has been touted as a tool for creating access, voice, empowerment, representation and participation in communities, it has also has a chequered history. Its colonial origins and design continue to plague its legitimacy and effectiveness. This is especially true in informal settlements in Kenya; which are home to some of the most marginalised individuals. This article is based on research carried out in Mukuru Kayaba, an informal settlement on the city of Nairobi. The findings of the research depict mixed results of the use of the baraza as a tool for citizen participation. They perceive that the baraza may be used as a rubber stamping tool and not as an avenue to include their views in policy making. Also, elements of power contestation, corruption and intimidation come on to play in the space of the baraza. This locks out the most vulnerable and needy members who are unable to fully express their frustrations in the language and manner of the baraza. | |
| dc.identifier.issn | 2279-0837 | |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://repo.pacuniversity.ac.ke/handle/123456789/5577 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | |
| dc.publisher | IOSR Journal Of Humanities And Social Science | |
| dc.title | The Baraza and the Role of the Public Administration in Informal Settlements: Lived Experiences in the Mukuru Kayaba Informal Settlement, Nairobi, Kenya. | |
| dc.type | Article |