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Originally published by Nation CountiesAugust 31, 2026
2h ago
How Nairobi is swallowing up rural land
The encounter between skyrocketing land prices caused by Nairobi’s expansion and a terrain of land poverty that has its roots in British colonial rule.....
✨ Key Highlights
Nairobi's rapid urban expansion is leading to profound social upheaval in surrounding rural areas, particularly in Kiambu County, as land values surge, prompting sales and internal family conflict.
- Peter Lockwood, an economic and political anthropologist, researched this phenomenon for his book, Peasants to Paupers: Land, Class and Kinship in Central Kenya.
- His research, conducted from 2017 to 2022, highlights how increasing land prices, driven by Nairobi's growth, are causing a sense of hopelessness and abandonment among young men who see little future in low-wage work.
- The article explores the legacy of colonial land dispossession and current inheritance practices that contribute to shrinking land sizes and rising tensions within families.
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