Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Mungiki: A Perspective

Some time in 2003, the City Council of Nairobi constructed access roads into the Soweto slums of Embakasi. The slum, as is the norm in informal settlements across the country, had its vigilantes- a neighbourhood watch of some kind- who took care of anything and everything from security to conflict resolution.

The access roads were quickly blocked off by hawkers and traders, who laid their wares on each side of the road so that vehicles could no longer access the slum.