This study investigates the implementation of devolution and disaster risk management (DRM) policies in Kenya, with a particular focus on informal settlements in the Mathare River Valley, Nairobi, during the urban floods of 2024. Through the analysis of existing DRM policy frameworks and fourteen semi-structured interviews with stakeholders from NGOs, community-based organisations (CBOs), and local […]

In Nairobi’s Mathare settlement, electricity is both essential and risky. Most households rely on informal networks that are unsafe and unreliable. At the same time, Kenya Power loses revenue by informal electricity suppliers and struggles to build trust with communities. This research set out to answer one question: How can we transform these informal systems […]

In many rural households in Kasigau, Kenya, traditional charcoal is both a livelihood and a cooking necessity. But it comes at a cost: every year, households cut down trees, threatening biodiversity and leaving bare land behind. This reality inspired this research on sustainable charcoal alternatives.  We explored the production of eco-charcoal briquettes made from sustainably pruned […]