Browsing by Author "Okubo, Everlyne Amile"

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    Disparities in Access to Public Open Spaces for Children in Nairobi City, Kenya
    (Public Administration and Governance Research Journal, 2025) Okubo, Everlyne Amile; Mireri, Caleb; Aloyo, Paul
    Public open spaces are essential for children’s health, learning, and social interaction, yet their provision and quality remain uneven in rapidly urbanising cities. This study examines disparities in the availability, safety, and usability of public open spaces for children in Nairobi, Kenya. The study sampled three Nairobi neighbourhoods to represent different socioeconomic contexts: high-income (Loresho), middle-income (Nairobi West), and low-income (Kibera). A mixed-methods approach included surveys, FGDs, KIIs, field observations, and spatial analysis, engaging 417 respondents (198 children, 61 parents, 158 other open space users). Purposive sampling identified key institutions based on their relevance, including Nairobi City departments (Talents, Skills Development and Care; Green Nairobi; Built Environment and Urban Planning), sports subcounty officers, ward managers and local user groups. Results show that all three areas fall far below the World Health Organization benchmark of 9 m² of open space per capita. Provision is lowest in Kibera and Nairobi West, where population density, poverty, poor infrastructure, and weak enforcement of planning laws limit access. Safety risks include overcrowding, poor lighting, lack of fencing, proximity to traffic, and encroachment of informal activities. Usability is further reduced by poor maintenance, competition from organised groups, and the exclusion of children from available facilities. In Loresho neighbourhood, private amenities compensate for the limited public open spaces but do not eliminate exclusion. These disparities constrain physical activity and social development, particularly for children in the low-income areas, and highlight gaps in urban policy implementation. The paper calls for stronger planning, investment, and management to create equitable, safe, and inclusive open spaces, in line with Sustainable Development Goal 11.7 and Kenya’s Vision 2030.
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    Governance And Functionality of Children’s Public Open Spaces in Nairobi City
    (International Academic Journal of Arts and Humanities, 2025-06) Okubo, Everlyne Amile; Mireri, Caleb; Aloyo, Paul
    Public open spaces (POS) are important for children’s physical, social, and cognitive development. In rapidly urbanising cities such as Nairobi, access to safe and functional open spaces is uneven among neighbourhoods. This study examines how governance influences the availability, safety, and usability of public open spaces for children, using political ecology theory to explain disparities across neighbourhoods. The study sampled three neighbourhoods in Nairobi City to represent different socioeconomic contexts: high-income (Lavington), middle-income (Buruburu), and low-income (Huruma). A mixedmethods approach included surveys, FGDs, KIIs, field observations, and spatial analysis, engaging 444 respondents (208 children, 70 parents, 166 other open space users). Purposive sampling was used to sampled key institutions based on their relevance, including Nairobi City departments (Talents, Skills Development and Care; Green Nairobi; Built Environment and Urban Planning), sports subcounty officers, ward managers and local user groups. The findings of this study show that functionality of POS depends more on governance and financing than on the presence of physical infrastructure. In Huruma informal settlement and Buruburu neighbourhood, informal volunteer-based governance, irregular funding, lack of recurrent budgets, and absence of structured participation result in unsafe, poorly maintained, and unattractive spaces. Children reported broken play equipment, lack of supervision, and exclusion from decision-making. Parents cited safety risks as a major reason for discouraging unsupervised play. In contrast, Jaffrey Sports Club in Lavington, managed by a trained team with sustained financing and structured user engagement, provided safe, clean, and engaging environments. The findings of this study demonstrate that unequal governance and resource allocation produce disparities in children’s public open spaces. Without reforms to funding and participatory planning, these disparities will worsen, increasing the likelihood of obesity among children and limiting progress toward SDG 11.7 and equitable urban development