Nairobi needs long-term planning not sporadic directives

This week, Nairobi County announced plans to limit new developments in Westlands. The reason given is that development of housing stock is outpacing existing infrastructure – such as roads, water and sewer lines.

On paper, this might sound like a good idea. But in practice, it might lock in a terrible undersupply of housing stock, which in future will be a drag on Nairobi’s economy.

First, let us be clear. High density is not bad. Nairobi is a major global city, and should do well by having high-end high density, in order to pack in as much human capital and possible to power its economy.

We do not want a situation whereby blocking new developments unnecessarily raises the cost of housing for Kenyan workers.

Already, Kenya has some of the costliest housing stock among middle-income countries (relative to incomes and the quality of the housing stock). Now is not the time to leverage policy to put more money in the pockets of developers and existing home owners.

To invest in the future, we must ensure housing is affordable for middle-class Kenyans (at no more than one-third of incomes).

Second, it is the thoroughly unplanned high density that is the problem. Notice that the unplanned chaos is not limited to high-density areas. Even sparsely populated Karen has pockets of unplanned informality.

Which is to say that it is quite possible to have high density that is workable and aesthetically pleasing.

There is no reason why Nairobi should be a filthy hub of chaos. For an economy its size, it should afford its citizens good public infrastructure around which the private sector can supply affordable housing options. Unfortunately, the city basically gave up on planning and order.

And their perception of order remains detached from reality – the occasional bans, or failure to internalise how the informal economy actually works (hence kanjo harassment of petty traders).

What will it take to run a clean and orderly city? First and foremost, it will require senior people in the county government with good sense to want a clean and orderly city. Too often we assume our biggest problem is the lack of cash.

However, there are many poorer but much better run cities out there. This means part of our problem is a lack of ideas and ambition. We are too used to the dust, trash-filled public spaces, lack of running water, and the like.

And, to put it mildly, our city planners are aesthetically challenged. Ugliness reigns supreme. This has to change. We must raise our standards. Kigali and Addis Ababa did. We can too.

Second, we need to figure out how to run an effective public works department. Maintaining order and cleanliness in Nairobi should not be done sporadically.

There should be a 50 year masterplan, and high-capacity people who wake up every day to execute on the plan. That is the only way we’ll ensure that we incrementally but effectively keep improving the look and feel of Nairobi City.

-The writer is a professor at Georgetown University