Governance And Functionality of Children’s Public Open Spaces in Nairobi City
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Date
2025-06
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Publisher
International Academic Journal of Arts and Humanities
Abstract
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
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Citation
Okubo, E. A., Mireri, C., Aloyo, P. (2025). Governance and functionality of children’s public open spaces in Nairobi City. International Academic Journal of Arts and Humanities, 1(5), 417-431