Characteristics of migrants in Nairobi’s informal settlements

Kanyiva Muindi, African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC)
Eliya M. Zulu, African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC)

This paper seeks to describe the process of migrating into Korogocho and Viwandani, two informal settlements in Nairobi city, Kenya, by examining the characteristics of migrants currently living there. The paper draws on data from the migration and employment histories collected from 12,638 randomly selected participants aged 12 years and above in both sites, under the Urbanization, Poverty and Health Dynamics (UPHD), a research project nested in the Nairobi Urban Health Demographic Surveillance System (NUHDSS). This paper gives a more detailed picture about the migration patterns and process – clearly separating issues to do with the migration to the slums and those relating to Nairobi as a whole. Reasons for migrating into the slums are particularly explored, taking into account other factors (e.g., environmental, social and cultural factors) that drive the migration into the slum areas.