Broken Systems: Why Waste Management Fails in African Cities Njoki Kangethe Introduction: A System Under Strain In many African cities, waste is overwhelming the systems designed to manage it. What begins as a missed collection day can quickly escalate into overflowing bins, clogged drainage systems, and expanding dumpsites that stretch beyond their intended limits. From […]
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The People Who Clean Our Cities: Inside Africa’s Informal Waste Economy Njoki Kangethe Introduction: The Invisible System Every day, before most cities fully wake up, work has already begun. In the early hours of the morning, men and women move through streets, dumpsites, and alleyways, collecting what others have thrown away. Plastic bottles, scrap metal, […]
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Part 1: Africa’s Waste Crisis: Problem or Opportunity? Njoki Kangethe A Growing Mountain Across Africa’s cities, a quiet crisis is building; not in headlines or high-level policy discussions, but in overflowing dumpsites, clogged drainage systems, and informal settlements where waste accumulates faster than it is collected. From Nairobi to Lagos and Accra, rapid urbanization is […]
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Njoki Kangethe LEDE: Across Africa, a new urban vision is taking shape. From Konza Technopolis in Kenya to Kigali Innovation City in Rwanda and emerging hubs in Lagos and Cape Town, tech cities have been positioned as symbols of transformation. They represent ambition, modernity, and the promise of a digitally connected future. Over the course […]
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Njoki Kangethe PART 5: ‘Building Dreams or Wasting Land? The Risks of African Tech Cities’ Introduction: Big Dreams, Big Risks Across the continent, tech cities have been presented as bold symbols of Africa’s future: smart, modern spaces designed to attract investment, create jobs, and position African economies within the global digital landscape. Governments have committed […]
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Njoki Kangethe PART 4: ‘TECH JOBS FOR WHOM? THE ELITES VS. ORDINARY AFRICANS’ The Promise of Opportunity Across Africa, tech cities are being built on the promise of jobs, innovation, and a new generation of entrepreneurs. From Konza Technopolis in Kenya to Kigali Innovation City in Rwanda and the tech districts growing around Lagos and […]
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Njoki Kangethe PART 3: TECH CITIES AND THE PRICE OF PROGRESS: WHO GETS PUSHED OUT? Gentrification in the African Urban Context As tech cities rise across Africa, they bring with them a powerful promise: modern housing, improved infrastructure, new businesses, and economic opportunity. But alongside this growth, another quieter process is unfolding; one that is […]
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Njoki Kangethe What came of the of the abductions, torture and subsequent deportations of human rights activists Agather Atuhaire and Boniface Mwangi from Tanzania to Uganda, and Kenya respectively? Are their horrendous, and inhumane ordeals going to fizzle out with no accountability and justice metted to their perpetrators? Across much of Africa, deportation sits at […]
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Njoki Kangethe PART 2: WHEN PROGRESS PUSHES PEOPLE OUT: DISPLACEMENT IN TECH CITIES Land, Law, and the Cost of Development Across Africa, the rise of tech cities and planned innovation hubs is reshaping landscapes as much as economies. These projects require vast tracts of land for offices, residential areas, roads, utilities, and commercial zones. While […]
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Njoki Kangethe Lede: PART 1: THE PROMISE OF TECH CITIES IN AFRICA The Rise of Africa’s Tech Cities Across Africa, a new urban vision is taking shape. Governments, investors, and development agencies are building what they call ‘tech cities,’ ‘innovation hubs’, and ‘smart cities’; purpose-built urban areas designed to attract technology companies, startups, and global […]
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