Cleaning Nairobi - A case study of community-based waste management and environmental justice in an informal settlement

As a response to a lack of formal solid waste management (SWM), CBOs and youth groups have become the main providers of waste collection in informal settlements in Nairobi, Kenya. This thesis is a qualitative case study of community-based waste management (CBWM) in the informal settlements of Mathare, Nairobi. The material from interviews and participant observation is analysed through a lens of Schlosberg’s (2004) environmental justice framework, examining three components of justice: distribution, recognition and procedure. Based on the perspectives of the community groups, the study aims to explore how CBWM contributes to or constrains environmental justice in Mathare. The study finds that while there are certain prominent aspects of the CBWM that contribute to environmental justice, the features that constrain environmental justice are predominant. Some contributing factors are: an increased access to SWM for the communities, employment opportunities and a strengthened social capital. However, the local government does not recognize the groups’ roles, activities or knowledge. Further, the groups are not adequately included in democratic decision-making and do not receive enough political and financial support from the local government. The study concludes that a majority of the constraints to environmental justice are linked to the responsibilities of local government