Kenyan Lessons: Post Independence Issues Christopher Witulski

Post-Colonial Misconceptions Automatic revision of colonial policy Primacy of the state “Go-it-alone” attempts Threatened takeovers of large firms Most success with micro-economics (away from state interaction) Later recognition of small business Education, training Creation of a business class

Nairobi’s Cultural Potential Increase in population from migration Ethnic diversity Optimism after independence Resulting exchange instead of isolation

Early Success Nairobi’s 1960’s promising start 70’s stagnation Influx of musicians Pan-African success of Kenyans Prevalence of labels and distributors 70’s stagnation Failure to develop the “Nairobi sound” Aging recording equipment Artists could not make a living

Africanization of the Industry African takeover of foreign control Loss of networks, social capital Kikuyu dominance, loss of diversity Musical stagnation without popular appeal

Zaire as an Alternative Recognition of political power in music Government funded popular artists International connections Cuban rumba, strong Parisian interaction The opposite of Kenyan isolation

Causes of Informal Settlements Not simply poor legal framework Commercialization of low-income housing Exclusion of urban middle class from the formal process Results in middle class ownership of informal housing

Nairobi in Context 1899 railway settlement Foreigners occupied private houses Europeans in private houses Asians in extended family houses near the city center Africans in cramped rental quarters Racial zoning rationalized as “the need to achieve a disease free environment with minimum of public expenditure”

The Evolution of Supply At first non-commercial reasons (squatting) for large settlements Later commercial (illegal subdivisions, sub-subdivisions) Racial zoning limited “free land market” Replaced by similar class zoning

Results Mutually beneficial A result of a developmental context Politicians - votes Professionals with falling incomes Legal land owners Development “companies” A result of a developmental context Solutions in both more “formal” options and more distributed resources