Anti-Eviction & Self-Determination in Ziwani, Nairobi

We are a community-based organization that works alongside and for the inter-generational residents of Ziwani, Nairobi, who have called this area home for the past eight decades. Our organization, the Single Mothers’ Association of Kenya (SMAK), was founded by Angelina Nandwa, a single mother who grew up in Ziwani, raised her children here, and continues to live in the community. Since 1991, SMAK has provided a safe space for women and youth, offering education, training, and economic empowerment to young, single mothers. Over the years, we have also become a vital hub for the health and educational needs of the broader Ziwani community. As the only visible community-based organization in the Ziwani ward, we serve as the de facto gathering space for local residents.

Currently, both SMAK and the Ziwani community are facing significant challenges due to land tenure insecurity. We are fighting against the displacement and destruction of our inter-generational community under the guise of urban "renewal." Our facilities were built on a 30-year public land concession that expired in 2021 and we’re currently seeking a renewal. But due to the financial strain caused by COVID-19, we lost much of our recurring income. This has led to a reduction in our programs, deferred maintenance, and power shutoffs, which hampers our advocacy for our land tenure. Additionally, the Nairobi government's urban renewal policies now threaten both our organization and the wider community with eviction.

We are committed to fighting urban renewal and slum clearance by empowering our community through co-design and community-led development. Drawing on our collective knowledge, experiences, and expertise accumulated over generations (asset-based development), we will build solidarity with land and housing justice movements both in Kenya and globally.

In the short term, to support the renewal of our land tenure for another 50 years, we must recover from the disruptions caused by COVID-19 and fully restore our programs, facilities, and critical infrastructure. This includes urgent infrastructure needs for community organizing—specifically, reliable electricity, clean water, and the refurbishment of spaces where we can meet and organize. For the long term, we are working to establish a community land trust (CLT) to secure tenure and ensure permanently affordable housing for our community.

Rapid support from ICC will allow us to initiate three key projects immediately:

Community Land Trust Organizing
A community land trust (CLT) is a model for communal property ownership that removes land from the speculative market, ensures tenant security, and builds community self-governance. Kenya is home to Africa’s first and only community land trust, the Tanzania-Bondeni CLT in Voi, located four hours from Nairobi. This CLT shares many characteristics with Ziwani, and in February 2025, we visited the Tanzania-Bondeni CLT for a learning exchange. We are now inspired to replicate this model and organize a community land trust in Ziwani.

Bridging the Digital Divide through Energy Sovereignty
As the community’s IT hub, much of our work depends on electricity. Frequent power cuts and high electricity bills due to tariffs have made it difficult to maintain reliable power. To achieve energy sovereignty, we plan to install an off-grid solar system that will provide a continuous, affordable power supply for our core operations. With reliable electricity and internet, we can better organize our community, support the creation of a community land trust, and resume programs such as digital literacy training.

Rainwater Harvesting & Food Sovereignty
Our community faces water rationing three times a week. As an organization working with mothers and children, the lack of reliable, clean water limits our ability to deliver services and manage our community farm. We operate the only community farm in the area, which provides essential food and economic empowerment for young mothers. Since we are not licensed to drill boreholes, implementing rainwater harvesting and storage will enable us to access clean, affordable water sustainably. This will ensure the smooth operation of both our programs and our community farm.

Impacts of this project:

1. Immediate-term:
   Prevent SMAK’s eviction, offset the large electricity bill that has led to power shutoffs, and restore electricity while we install off-grid solar. Refurbish the community garden and resource center, and provide clean water, sanitation, and hygiene on-site. These actions will allow us to restore our core programs: 1) providing support for vulnerable young mothers and their children, 2) preventing evictions, and 3) promoting community well-being and economic empowerment.

2. Medium-term:
   Establish a Community Land Trust (CLT). Kenya’s first and only CLT, the Tanzania-Bondeni CLT, was founded before Kenya’s 2010 constitution and the Community Land Act. By creating an organizing space for a Ziwani CLT, we will build on the work of Tanzania-Bondeni CLT and pave the way for land tenure security in this new legal framework. This will also create pathways for other communities facing urban renewal or slum clearance to secure housing.

3. Long-term:
   Global Solidarity. With resources to recover from COVID and launch community land trust organizing, we will help the global community better understand the land tenure issues facing Kenya and the African continent. This will facilitate stronger North-South solidarity and support grassroots movements like ours.