This oral history archive—plus a timeline and written reflections (below)—tells the history in film and text of Muungano wa Wanavijiji’s first 20 years, 1996–2016, through the words, memories, and stories of 47 slum dwellers, activists, professionals, and civil society partners who were present at different stages along Muungano’s journey.
Interviews were carried out by a Muungano team in 2016.
How we did the history project
3 ways to explore the archive
To help navigate the archive, each interview has been broken down into a series of shorter clips, which have been tagged by themes. Films are in English or Swahili with English subtitles.
1. By interviewee: watch a playlist of the interview and/or read the transcript.
2. By clip: browse all short clips.
3. By theme: filter clips by keyword using the links below.
Filter by theme
Speaker: Muungano | Support professionals | Partners | SDI
Geography: Nairobi (city) | Mukuru | Kibera | Huruma & Kambi Moto | Mathare | Korogocho | Nakuru | Mombasa & Coast region | Kisumu | Global/international
Theme: Academia | Achievements | Advocacy/ activism | Akiba Mashinani Trust | Before Muungano | Challenges | Civil society | Community mobilising | Community-driven solutions | Conflict | Data (collection, profiling, enumeration, mapping) | Documentation | Exchanges & learning | Federation-building & networks | Forced eviction & demolition | Greenfield | Health | House modelling | Housing | How did you first get involved? | How things changed | Informal markets | Informal politics | Information | Kenya's future | National government | Land | Leadership | Legal | Livelihoods | Local government | Men | Muungano's future | Other SDI federations | Partnerships | Planning | Policy influence | Politics | Savings/groups | SDI | Slum upgrading | Stories | Strategies that worked | Support professionals | Tenure security | Water & sanitation | What didn't work | Motivation | What did things used to be like? | Women | Youth
“Muungano’s history in our own words”
The interviews
Abdi Mohamed
Civil society partner, Korogocho, Nairobi
Christine Mwelu
Muungano, Viwandani, Mukuru, Nairobi
Emmie Erondanga
Civil society partner, Korogocho, Nairobi
Ezekiel Rema
Muungano, Toi Market, Kibera, Nairobi
Irene Karanja
Support professional
Jack Makau
Support professional, SDI Kenya
Jason Corburn
Academic partner, University of California Berkeley
Jonte Kimani
Muungano, Kambi Moto, Nairobi
Joseph Muturi
Muungano national leader, Toi Market, Kibera, Nairobi & SDI management committee,
Mama Night
Muungano, Toi Market, Kibera, Nairobi
Michael Njuguna
Muungano, Kambi Moto, Nairobi
Nancy Njoki
Muungano, Mathare, Nairobi
Peter Chege
Muungano, Kambi Moto, Nairobi
Peter Ng'ang'a
Civil society partner, Community organizer training, Nairobi
Sammy Njoroge
Muungano, Rhodah, Nakuru
Susan Mwangi
Muungano, Kahawa Soweto, Nairobi; History team
Amadi Sudi
Muungano, Matopeni, Mombasa
Dorice Bosibori
Muungano, Mukuru, Nairobi
Erikson Sunday
Muungano, Nyalenda, Kisumu
Evans ‘Papa’ Omondi'
Muungano, Mukuru kwa Reuben, Nairobi
Isaac ‘Kaka’ Muasa
Muungano, Mathare, Nairobi
Jane Weru
Lawyer; Support professional, Akiba Mashinani Trust
Jockin Arputham
SDI President & Indian SDI federation
Joseph Kimani
Support professional, SDI Kenya
Kate Wanjiru
Muungano, Mathare, Nairobi; History team
Mama Noor
Muungano, Kisaunilands, Mombasa
Musymi Mbathi
Academic partner, University of Nairobi
Omari Rashid
Muungano, Tiwi, Kwale County
Peter Kinyanjui
Muungano, Mathare, Nairobi
Rashid Mutua
Muungano, Athi River, Machakos
Sophia Khamis
Muungano, Ugeni, Machakos; History team
Anastasia Wairimu
Muungano, Kahawa Soweto, Nairobi
Emily Wangari
Muungano, Mathare, Nairobi
Eva Muchiri
Muungano, Mathare, Nairobi; History team
Felista Ndunge
Muungano, Mukuru, Nairobi
Henry Otunge
Muungano, Korogocho, Nairobi
Jane Wairitu
Support professional, SDI Kenya
Joel Bolnick
SDI secretariat, South Africa
Joseph Mukeku
Private sector partner, Architect, Nairobi
Mama Mariam
Muungano, Tiwi, Kwale County
Michael Kanayu
Muungano, Matopeni, Mombasa
Patrick Njoroge
Support professional, Akiba Mashinani Trust
Patrick Ochieng
Civil society partner, Ujamaa Centre, Mombasa
Peter Mutunga
Muungano, Kibera, Nairobi
Rose Molokoane
SDI management committee & South African SDI federation
Stanley Mwangi
Muungano, Mathare, Nairobi
Susan Wanjiru
Muungano, Kambi Moto, Nairobi
