Columbia International Affairs Online: Working Papers

CIAO DATE: 10/2014

A Political Economy of Slum Spaces: Mathare Valley

Andvig Jens Chr, Tiberius Barasa

July 2014

Norwegian Institute of International Affairs

Abstract

This paper studies the spatial characteristics of slums, seeking to explain why rulers tend to neglect the welfare of their dwellers. While located close to the centers of power, their high population density implies that they cover small space and are easy to cordon off in case of danger. Here it studies crime when spatial configurations motivate the focus on one specific slum: Mathare Valley.