2nd Utafiti Sera Forum on Urban Governance and City Transformation, Kenya

Date: May 15-May 16 2018

Venue:Nairobi

Forum Focus: The Social Dimensions of Infrastructure Development

Kenya, like many neighboring African countries, has witnessed a substantial increase in infrastructure investment and development over the last decade. The current development paradigm posits infrastructure development as a pertinent enabler of economic growth, enhanced well-being, and social inclusion. While the relationship between infrastructure development and economic growth is relatively clear-cut, it remains ambivalent to what extent such developments fosters social equity and inclusion. In many instances, infrastructure projects are accompanied by large-scale displacements and dispossessions of the most vulnerable sectors of society. This leads one to reexamine the notion of infrastructure development; development for whom and at what costs? What type of policy interventions can assure that infrastructure developments in Kenya maintain a people-centric genesis to benefit the most marginalized and vulnerable sectors of the population?

The 2^nd Utafiti Sera Forum on Urban Governance and City Transformation explores existing evidence and prospective policy interventions on how to maintain the social dimension of infrastructure development. The forum is a follow-up to the 1^st Utafiti Sera House forum held in January 2018 where key stakeholders conveyed in Nairobi to conduct a comprehensive stakeholders’ analysis and identify the key issues related to around urban governance and city transformation in Kenya. During the 1^st forum, the house came to a consensus that the social dimension of infrastructure development is a vital issue in need of policy intervention. The 2^nd forum is an attempt to facilitate research to policy uptake on the social aspect of infrastructure development through deliberations and dialogue between key stakeholders. It is jointly organized by PASGR and Pamoja Trust. The forum was attended by various stakeholders.They include Haki Jamii Trust, Katiba Institute, The Lamu Port-South Sudan-Ethiopia-Transport ( LAPPSET), Kenya Urban Roads Authority (KURA) and Civil Society Urban Development Program(CSUDP).

Second Utafiti Sera House Background Note