ianSweet:


Oh my, very enlightening response.
Are the descendants of these Nubians still there in Kibera or they left? What about the other Africans who came to Kibera later on? Are they from indigenous kenyan tribes? If yes, can they still trace their native villages in Kenya?

You are very correct, giving a pretty house to a jobless slum dweller is somehow unuseful, I think the best way to liberate people from the slums is to get them gainfully employed with well paying Jobs in the main city.

You have told me about Kibera, what about Mathare and the others? I heard Mathare is even bigger than Kibera?

Let me begin by telling you this. The slum population is not as much as you think. According to our latest census, Kibera had a population of 270,000 people and Mathare 80,000 while NGOs used to say that Kibera has over 1m people.. Lol

You see the way NGOs make money is by inflating actual statistics to get more donor money from international associations. Same way NGOs always portray Africa as a continent where everybody is either dying from AIDS or starving. Then when they come to Nigeria for instance they will take pictures of the worst parts and send it to their donors. While we cannot deny there are problems, some people are out to benefit from the problems and would never like an area to grow. So the said NGOs will pay themselves hefty salaries with your money and live in the best of suburbs then go and do a simple cleaning exercise and that is it.

The slum rehabilitation program was started by the government to offer cheap and affordable formal housing to slum dwellers. Motion of the program has been quite slow due to some people that would make loses if the upgrade plan was to be fully effected and will pay some people small sums to protest the move.

Every time I check in this place is unrecognisable! The other day it looked like Kisangani after the Tutsis hurled arty at each other in August 2001. Now its all learning and e hugs! Let me holster my Browning-for now. Pazienza,srlsy,we'll have to reexamine the whole civil war narrative.

Muafrika2:

Yep. The Nubians are still strong and easily stand out in Kibra. They are not happy with the slum upgrade because it is being done on the land. But the government has a right to do it, especially for public interest.

Mathare is 300m by 2km. The land is private but occupied by squatters.

Probably started by low income workers wanting to stay closer to their work places around the city.

The 2009 census counted just over 80 000 people living in Mathare’s 13 villages

Ok.

But am also interested in these Nubians cos am a historian. Do these nubians still speak their native sudanic languages? Can they still trace their ways back to their homelands in Sudan? What ethnicity do they profess in Kenya?

NairobiWalker:


There's another song (nasema asante) that Yemi sang alone in Swahili. You're clearly trying too hard.

hmm, never heard that song. I'll try to listen to it.
Yemi Alade is an African woman to the core. You can see how African she behaves and sings and that is why people all over Africa like her and she is currently the best female artiste in Africa.

Coke studio has brought all African artistes from all over the continent to sing and record musics together.
Yemi Alade is probably trying to gain a better fan base in East Africa which i think is splendid, or should we just say she has found a Kenyan boo or crush just like me, .maybe one of the Sauti sol singers. .

I am very much in support of the unity of the African entertainment industry, believe me.
East Africa has a large market for entertainment when you put all East African nations together. If u East Africans can unite well and work better, believe me, Nigeria would not dominate the entertainment industry in Africa as we are doing now.

mkenya254:


My company scales operations for large tech companies or tech departments of companies e.g. Tells, Large banks and insurance companies, betting companies etc. We advise and implement large network systems, horizontal scaling of servers and things of that kind.

Unfortunately there is no time to visit all those cities ! I will be at Lagos then Abuja for a few weeks since all the important companies are usually headquartered in Lagos especially.

Maybe pidgin is not promoted since it is seen as an urbane but developing language akin to Kenya's Sheng?

Ok, interesting. I wish i had a job that would take me around the continent and the world yet. Av only been to 3 other west African nations and Israel on pilgrimage.

Yes, pidgin is a developing urban language truly. Although the influence is widely growing, but standard English language, Hausa, Yoruba and Igbo are also a threat to it.
Nigeria is too big and diverse to take a firm decision sometimes because it will always face strong opposition from different quarters.

mkenya254:


Let me begin by telling you this. The slum population is not as much as you think. According to our latest census, Kibera had a population of 270,000 people and Mathare 80,000 while NGOs used to say that Kibera has over 1m people.. Lol

You see the way NGOs make money is by inflating actual statistics to get more donor money from international associations. Same way NGOs always portray Africa as a continent where everybody is either dying from AIDS or starving. Then when they come to Nigeria for instance they will take pictures of the worst parts and send it to their donors. While we cannot deny there are problems, some people are out to benefit from the problems and would never like an area to grow. So the said NGOs will pay themselves hefty salaries with your money and live in the best of suburbs then go and do a simple cleaning exercise and that is it.

The slum rehabilitation program was started by the government to offer cheap and affordable formal housing to slum dwellers. Motion of the program has been quite slow due to some people that would make loses if the upgrade plan was to be fully effected and will pay some people small sums to protest the move.

Tbh no way 1 million guys can live on and 2.5sq km piece of land. Yes NGOs inflate these figures.

Muafrika2:

Are Fulanis assumed to be one with Hausas on that map?

Fulanis and Hausa are somehow one in Nigeria.
Majority of the fulanis who came to Nigeria over 200 years ago settled in hausa land and due to the largeness of hausa population, they were culturally and linguistically absorbed (hausanized).

mkenya254:


Let me begin by telling you this. The slum population is not as much as you think. According to our latest census, Kibera had a population of 270,000 people and Mathare 80,000 while NGOs used to say that Kibera has over 1m people.. Lol

You see the way NGOs make money is by inflating actual statistics to get more donor money from international associations. Same way NGOs always portray Africa as a continent where everybody is either dying from AIDS or starving. Then when they come to Nigeria for instance they will take pictures of the worst parts and send it to their donors. While we cannot deny there are problems, some people are out to benefit from the problems and would never like an area to grow. So the said NGOs will pay themselves hefty salaries with your money and live in the best of suburbs then go and do a simple cleaning exercise and that is it.

The slum rehabilitation program was started by the government to offer cheap and affordable formal housing to slum dwellers. Motion of the program has been quite slow due to some people that would make loses if the upgrade plan was to be fully effected and will pay some people small sums to protest the move.

I think u are very correct.
Can't your govt do something about this misinformation by these NGOs? It's really sickening the manner at which these white people potray the worst parts of Africa and augment it, just to gain attention. They keep on misinforming the world about Africa.

ianSweet:


Ok.

But am also interested in these Nubians cos am a historian. Do these nubians still speak their native sudanic languages? Can they still trace their ways back to their homelands in Sudan? What ethnicity do they profess in Kenya?

They speak Nubian, live in close nit extended families and practice Islam as their choice religion. They also speak kiswahili and English like other Kenyans.

Many Africans view other Africans as very backward. Like tbh I always thought DRC was a shitty country with war. Thought Kinshasa was like Mogadishu. But thats not the case, Kinshasa is quite good looking

ianSweet:


Fulanis and Hausa are somehow one in Nigeria.
Majority of the fulanis who came to Nigeria over 200 years ago settled in hausa land and due to the largeness of hausa population, they were culturally and linguistically absorbed (hausanized).

Okay. But there are unmixed populations?

PissedYagami:
Many Africans view other Africans as very backward. Like tbh I always thought DRC was a shitty country with war. Thought Kinshasa was like Mogadishu. But thats not the case, Kinshasa is quite good looking

What are you doing in Kinshasa? Gold rush?

Perception is not everything. In my mind, I always thought Kenya is another underdeveloped war torn African country reeling in regional and internal pressure. The country has been getting too much sympathy from the West and East as they try to prop it up from its yesteryear woes.
I was not too excited about visiting Nairobi as I honestly felt Harare could be better. The whole journey towards the Huawei Safe City, I was just looking forward to another African country struggling with terrorism bombings and recently established government. Landing at the Nairobi international airport did not quickly give a new perspective .Yes the airport is bigger than Harare International but the standards were not really stunning which was unimpressive.
Lo and behold, as we slowly drove from the airport into the city there was massive congestion that almost resembled my Experience in Beijing. Nairobi quickly moved from an African typical city. I had an instant shift to undeniable reality. Was I still in an African country or hypnotised to another continent?
To be simply blunt , it would be just insane to try and compare Nairobi to Harare. Nairobi in my own words is only close to Capetown and it beats Johannesburg hands down.

Not my words. Some guy from Zim wrote this on his site
http://www.technomag.co.zw/2016/11/04/myexperienceinkenya-nairobi-10times-better-harare/#sthash.BKnQSeTP.ZpOBqJOf.dpbs

Muafrika2:

What are you doing in Kinshasa? Gold rush?

I am in Kenya. Just a bit about DRC

PissedYagami:
Many Africans view other Africans as very backward. Like tbh I always thought DRC was a shitty country with war. Thought Kinshasa was like Mogadishu. But thats not the case, Kinshasa is quite good looking

I remember saying here once, take a trip around Africa and you'll be stunned. Even for Somalia, the country everyone believes is bombed to Smithereens, they've got this 2 amazing towns called hargeisa and barawa.

On the issue of Nairobi and slums, they're quite a bunch in existence, the living situation in these slums is usually very nauseating. But then their size and population are but a tiny fraction of what is stated in blogs

There existence is largely due to the segregation in settlement for the haves, have nots and those in between. you'll never see in most of Kenya an estate containing a shanty sandwiched in between a bungalow and a 1-2 bedroom apartments flat on either side. This is caused by affordability of provisions whereby one settles where they can buy daily requirements at a rate they're comfortable with. It's the same thing in SA, Botswana and Egypt. In direct contrast, my observation of Ethiopia, Tanzania, Ivory coast is that Estates normally contain houses for all classes of people side by side. This could explain why real estate development, formal retail penetration and also numbers of slums aren't as high as the former mentioned countries.

PissedYagami:
Perception is not everything. In my mind, I always thought Kenya is another underdeveloped war torn African country reeling in regional and internal pressure. The country has been getting too much sympathy from the West and East as they try to prop it up from its yesteryear woes.
I was not too excited about visiting Nairobi as I honestly felt Harare could be better. The whole journey towards the Huawei Safe City, I was just looking forward to another African country struggling with terrorism bombings and recently established government. Landing at the Nairobi international airport did not quickly give a new perspective .Yes the airport is bigger than Harare International but the standards were not really stunning which was unimpressive.
Lo and behold, as we slowly drove from the airport into the city there was massive congestion that almost resembled my Experience in Beijing. Nairobi quickly moved from an African typical city. I had an instant shift to undeniable reality. Was I still in an African country or hypnotised to another continent?
To be simply blunt , it would be just insane to try and compare Nairobi to Harare. Nairobi in my own words is only close to Capetown and it beats Johannesburg hands down.

Not my words. Some guy from Zim wrote this on his site
http://www.technomag.co.zw/2016/11/04/myexperienceinkenya-nairobi-10times-better-harare/#sthash.BKnQSeTP.ZpOBqJOf.dpbs

I have also been to Harare and i can assure you, its very pretty. As a matter of fact, they don't have crazy slum development. And they are very civil people. They get bad (western ) press because they have rightfully decided to correct grievous historical wrongs viz. land ownership.

AfroCircus:

I remember saying here once, take a trip around Africa and you'll be stunned. Even for Somalia, the country everyone believes is bombed to Smithereens, they've got this 2 amazing towns called hargeisa and barawa.

On the issue of Nairobi and slums, they're quite a bunch in existence, the living situation in these slums is usually very nauseating. But then their size and population are but a tiny fraction of what is stated in blogs

There existence is largely due to the segregation in settlement for the haves, have nots and those in between. you'll never see in most of Kenya an estate containing a shanty sandwiched in between a bungalow and a 1-2 bedroom apartments flat on either side. This is caused by affordability of provisions whereby one settles where they can buy daily requirements at a rate they're comfortable with. It's the same thing in SA, Botswana and Egypt. In direct contrast, my observation of Ethiopia, Tanzania, Ivory coast is that Estates normally contain houses for all classes of people side by side. This could explain why real estate development, formal retail penetration and also numbers of slums aren't as high as the former mentioned countries.

Let me add by saying : to be stunned depends on ones previous notion. Don't engorge yourself with news from western news agencies. Meet and befriend (for life!! ) other africans.

Muafrika2:

Okay. But there are unmixed populations?

Yes, but the mixed Hausa-fulanis seem to be more than the unmixed.

Nairobi Kenya Matatu culture & bikers community...
Please guys its not meant to be a competition bit a reason to showcase the Kenyan Public service vehicles popularly called Matatus full of Graffiti & bikers using their passion & hobby to make a difference in the community.

Kenyan landscape from a bikers view..

Matatus...

Kenya rural scenes & landscapes...

Matatu....

Kenya eye bird view

Random Kenya

Kenya scenes

Kenya unhindered..

ianSweet:


Yes, but the mixed Hausa-fulanis seem to be more than the unmixed.

Which of the two are farmers? I know Fulanis are traditionally herders. Not sure of the traditional economic activities of the Hausa.

VIDEO] Nairobi ranked third best 2017 travel destination
Jan. 04, 2017, 12:00 pm
By EUGENE OKUMU @eugene_okumu

Nairobi has been ranked the third most desirable city to visit in 2017 and described as “Africa’s youngest, fastest-growing metropolis and the beating heart of the continent’s largest economy”.

The administrative capital is the only African city in a which includes Paris, Isfahan, Bristol, Antwerp, Medellín, Atlanta, Osaka, Guadalajara and Palma.

British travel publisher Rough Guides, which carried out the ranking, has released a two-minute time lapse video of the city’s skyline.



Nairobi- A Timelapse Portrait from xixo collective on Vimeo.

Citing the world-famous Nairobi National Park, the guide recommends forays into the city’s dynamic urban landscape, restaurants in their dozens, art projects and a growing fashion scene.

The guide that has been published since 1982 mentions these as alternatives to the traditional trips to curio shops, coffee houses and museums. A host of thrift and boutiques are also highlighted.



“Skip Nairobi now and you’re missing out, big time,” the guide concludes.

The ranking comes days into the new year when tourist numbers are traditionally high following the December holiday period.

But a number of Western nations including the United Kingdom, where the travel guide is based, still have travel advisories for several areas in the country, Nairobi included.

Advisories by the US, UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand describe the Eastleigh suburb as a high-risk area and advise against all but essential travel. Other areas include Kibera, Mathare, Kasarani and Buru Buru .

Kenya has been the target of terrorist attacks dating back to the 1998 bombing of the US Embassy and the 2013 attack on Westgate shopping mall that left about 65 dead.

http://www.the-star.co.ke/news/2017/01/04/video-nairobi-ranked-third-best-2017-travel-destination_c1482126

Nairobi - new year fireworks




Nairobi city center -CBD

Nairobi's Upperhill - new business district

Muafrika2:

Which of the two are farmers? I know Fulanis are traditionally herders. Not sure of the traditional economic activities of the Hausa.

The pure hausas are the farmers, while a subgroup of the pure fulanis (fulani bororo) are the herders. The majority of pure fulanis and almost all hausanized fulanis live in towns and cities and are mostly business people, politicians, aristocrats and religious leaders, they do not farm as such.

Kenya Natural beauty...