The persistence of indigenous African markets in the context of a hostile or neglectful business and policy environment makes them worthy of analysis. An investigation of Afrocentric business ethics is long overdue. Attempting to understand the actions and efforts of informal traders and artisans from their own points of view, and analysing how they organise and get by, allows for viable approaches to be identified to integrate them into global urban models and cultures. Using the utu-ubuntu model to understand the activities of traders and artisans in Nairobi�s markets, this book explores how, despite being consistently excluded and disadvantaged, they shape urban spaces in and around the city, and contribute to its development as a whole. With immense resilience, and without discarding their own socio-cultural or economic values, informal traders and artisans have created a territorial complex that can be described as the African metropolis. African Markets and the Utu-buntu Business Model sheds light on the ethics and values that underpin the work of traders and artisans in Nairobi, as well as their resilience and positive impact on urbanisation. This book makes an important contribution to the discourse on urban economics and planning in African cities.
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Extrait
AFRICAN MARKETSAND THE UTU-BUNTU BUSINESS MODELA Perspective on Economic Informality in Nairobi
Mary Njeri Kinyanjui
Arîcan Markets and te Utu-Ubuntu Busîness Mode A Perspectîve on Economîc ïnormaîty în Naîrobî
Mary Njerî Kînyanjuî
AFRICAN MINDS
Pubîsed în 2019 by Arîcan Mînds 4 Ecceston Pace, Somerset West 7130, Cape Town, Sout Arîca îno@arîcanmînds.org.za www.arîcanmînds.org.za
hîs work îs pubîsed under a Creatîve Commons Attrîbutîon 4.0 ïnternatîona îcense (CC-BY.
ïSBN Paper 978-1-928331-78-0 ïSBN eBook 978-1-928331-79-7 ïSBN ePub 978-1-928331-80-3
For orders rom outsîde Sout Arîca: Arîcan Books Coectîve PO Box 721, Oxord OX1 9EN, UK orders@arîcanbookscoectîve.com www.arîcanbookscoectîve.com
Cuture pays a centra roe în te poîtîca, economîc and socîa îe o communîtîes. ïndeed, cuture may be te mîssîng înk în te deveopment o Arîca. Cuture îs dynamîc, evoves over tîme, conscîousy dîscardîng retrogressîve tradîtîons, îke emae genîta mutîatîon, and embracîng aspects tat are good and useu. Arîcans, especîay, soud redîscover te posîtîve aspects o teîr cuture. ïn acceptîng tem, tey woud gîve temseves a sense o beongîng, îdentîty and se-conIdence. – Wangarî Maataî, Nobe ecture, 2004
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For my teacers. ïn te true spîrît o utu-ubuntu, tey seLessy taugt and prepared me or te Great Transormatîon în my îe. Yet, wen te se-reguatîng market and money cuture became entrenced în Kenya, tey were among te Irst to be aîenated and împoverîsed.
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Contents
îst o pates vî Acknowedgements vîî Preace x
1
ïntroductîon 1
PART ONE: TR ADERS, ARTISANS AND URBAN PLANNING 2 Traders and artîsans în goba economîc tînkîng 15 3 Urban pannîng and economîc înormaîty în Naîrobî 30 4 Urban teory and te ‘Arîcan metropoîs’ 50
PART TWO: THE MAKING OF AN AFRICAN CITY 5 he îndîgenîsatîon o Naîrobî 73 6 he ‘Arîcan metropoîs’ în Naîrobî 94
PART THREE: UTU-UBUNTU ENHANCING URBAN RESILIENCE 7 he utu-ubuntu busîness mode 113 8 Utu-ubuntu nests, bonds and assocîatîons 121 9 Towards te ormatîon o autonomous communîtîes 151 10 Cutura vîages 159
Notes 172 Reerences 176 About te autor 185
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List of plates
Pate 1 Naîrobî: An Arîcan metropoîs 136 Pate 2 A bîrd’s-eye vîew o te Arîcan metropoîs 137 Pate 3An exampe o a sum settement 138Pate 4 Cîty councî-controed and -servîced urban space 139 Pate 5 Mîxed trade and resîdentîa space în se-deveoped urban areas 140 Pate 6 An area typîca o te se-deveoped urban rînges 141 Pate 7 Traders, veîces and pedestrîans compete or space 142 Pate 8 Porters pay a key roe în transportîng goods between te producers or woesaers and te traders în te markets 143 Pate 9 A cotîng market tat ses bot new and secondand goods 144 Pate 10 Stas seîng wood, cosmetîcs, soes and res produce 145 Pate 11 A trader seîng wood, sand, brîcks and oter buîdîng materîas rom îs yard 146 Pate 12 Seîng sugar cane 147 Pate 13 Potabe water or sae wît res vegetabes 148 Pate 14 Banana seers outsîde an aocated market area 149 Pate 15 Scrap meta, secondand toos and eectrîca equîpment 150
Acknowledgements
ï beneIted rom te generosîty and care o many peope wîe ï was wrîtîng tîs book. ï sared îdeas wît my Comparatîve ïndustrîa Strategy cass at te Unîversîty o Naîrobî’s ïnstîtute or Deveopment Studîes. heîr crîtîque caenged me to tînk more deepy about traders and artîsans în Naîrobî. Fredrîck Dawa, secretary o te Kamukunjî Jua Kaî Assocîatîon în Naîrobî, was a source o înspîratîon and îdeas, probîng me to deve înto te experîences o traders and artîsans. ï ed numerous ruîtu dîscussîons about te nature and organîsatîon o markets wît Pastor Kîara and Mrs Wakagîrî o Uuru Market. Jon Ng’ang’a, caîrperson o te Uuru Market Traders Assocîatîon, was aso a source o înormatîon on te roe o markets. ïgnatîus Gaceru and Pîomena Njerî Mbarî eped me understand and expaîn te Agîkuyu busîness etos. Gîtu wa Kaengerî, te secretary-genera o te Mau Mau War Veterans Assocîatîon, gave me însîgts înto te socîo-economîc expectatîons o Kenya’s reedom strugge. Cares Rubîa, Naîrobî’s Irst mayor, provîded înormatîon on eforts e made to transorm Naîrobî rom a coonîa outpost înto an Arîcan cîty; Njogu Wanguu aso provîded îstorîca înormatîon about Naîrobî, wîe Debora Kînutîa, Rîcard Gîtau and Edît Muîndî sared te experîences o teîr amîîes în Naîrobî.
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African Markets and te Utu-Ubuntu Business Model
Muragurî Nguyaî, Mark Kamau, George Kamau, Francîs Kînutîa, Martîn Njoroge, înet Muraca, Stepene Kîngoîna, Pauîne Wambua, Perpetua Ng’ang’a and Race Waweru eped în gaterîng data în te markets. Sam Baongo eped wît data management and anaysîs wîe Bonîace Ngaruîa and Josepat Juma read te drat manuscrîpts. Dr Pau Kamau taugt my casses wen ï went on two wrîtîng retreats or tîs book. ï am grateu to Pro. Wînnîe Mîtua, Dîrector o te ïnstîtute or Deveopment Studîes at te Unîversîty o Naîrobî, and to te unîversîty îtse or gîvîng me eave to attend tese retreats. ï am aso grateu to my ormer students, Vîctor Kîbet, Pauîne Wambua, Davîd Mbuvî, Stepen Kîng’oîna and Francîs Kînutîa, wo ofered vauabe îdeas durîng braînstormîng sessîons or te book, and to Fredrîck Gîtonga or takîng potograps. Stepene Karîukî drove me around wîe Rîcard Ambanî eped wît arcîva materîas. My rîends Anne Kamau, Joy Obando, Beta Makato, ydîa Kamau, Angea Kamau, Nguyaî Mbarî, Bonîace Njenga, Marjory Kîmanî, Anne Karîukî, ydîa Gaîtîrîra, Anne Njuguna, Faît Kîmatî, Bonîace Ngaruîa, Reverend Davîd Mwakîwîwî, Feîx Kîrutu, Wanjîru Gîcuî, Eunîce Wanjoya and Francîs Kanyonî were a source o encouragement în many ways. hree o my ormer ecturers, Agnes Musyokî, Mîcae Darko and Ceîa Nyamweru, aways sow an înterest în my wrîtîng or wîc ï am most grateu. Josepat Juma as read severa drats o tîs work and gîven eedback. Emmanue Gîtau and îs wîe arranged and accompanîed me to my întervîew wît Gîtu wa Kaengerî. ï am aso eavîy îndebted to my amîy. hey were aways avaîabe to ceer me up wen ï was în doubt, exausted and wonderîng weter ï coud compete a capter. Mungaî, Josepîne and Sîru Kamîtî responded to my emaîs and teepone cas wît encouragement. Jane Waîrîmu and er amîy were aways ready to run my errands and manage my afaîrs. ydîa Waîrîmu and Anastacîa Gaterero, togeter wît teîr amîîes, supported me îmmensey. Josepîne Mutonî and er amîy aso provîded useu support. My moter constanty remînded me to take care o my eat and
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Acknowledgements
avoîd sîttîng or ong ours. My ater aways encouraged me to do my best and accept te act tat tîngs wî not aways work în my avour. My broters and teîr amîîes are aways a source o support. ï am aso grateu to Dr Pîus Kîgamwa or îstenîng to my storîes and remîndîng me to set reaîstîc goas. My daugter Mercy Nyambura supported me în more ways tan ï can say. he Steenbosc ïnstîtute or Advanced Study (STïAS ofered me two wrîtîng resîdencîes. Durîng te Irst, ï wrote two capters and presented some o my work at a semînar durîng wîc ï receîved epu comments rom oters. he second resîdency was unortunatey cut sort due to persona cîrcumstances. My tanks to Sîmon Bekker as we as Sandra and Marîa Mouton, wo ofered me teîr rîendsîp durîng my tîme at STïAS. ï am aso grateu to te Rockeeer Foundatîon’s Beagîo Center or a mont-ong resîdent eowsîp durîng wîc ï wrote te concudîng capter and presented my work to oter eows wo aso made useu comments. he eowsîps at STïAS and te Beagîo Center gave me te support and înspîratîon to reay ocus on wrîtîng.