The City Makers of Nairobi

The City Makers of Nairobi re-examines the history of the urban development of Nairobi in the colonial period. Although Nairobi was a colonial construct with lasting negative repercussions, the African population?s impact on its history and development is often overlooked. This book shows how Africans took an active part in making use of the city and creating it, and how they were far from being subjects in the development of a European colonial city.

This re-interpretation of Nairobi?s history suggests that the post-colonial city is the result of more than unjust and segregative colonial planning. Merging historical documentation with extensive contemporary urban theory, this book provides in-depth knowledge of the key historical roles played by locals in the development of their city. It argues that the idea of agency, a popular inroad to urban development today, is not a current phenomenon but one that has always existed with its many social, spatial, and physical ramifications.

This is an ideal read for upper-level undergraduate and graduate students studying the history of urban development and theories, providing an in-depth case study for reference. The City Makers of Nairobi broaches interdisciplinary themes important to urban planners, social scientists, historians, and those working with popular settlements in cities across the world.

"I commend the critical task that Ese and Ese have given themselves; that of highlighting African life by detailing housing patterns, cultural lives, and everyday practices in ways intended to decenter the colonizer. Ultimately, the authors have managed to "encourage people to reflect on the fact that this is indeed their city, and has always been so;" a supportive endorsement of Nairobi?s primary city making communities who, from 1920 to the present, continue to find the post-colonial eviction bulldozer at their door." ?Wangui Kimari, Africa Is A Country

"This is a welcome addition to the literature on the history and planning of Nairobi, with wider relevance to urbanization in Africa and the global south. A particular strength of the research is its extensive primary source material, some not easily accessible, including archives, local newspapers, individual memoirs, and novels, which results in a thoroughly executed urban history, with a strong chronological progression through the period 1899-1960." ?Robert Home, Planning Perspectives