Where we work

Key Urbanization Trends

Kenya is experiencing one of the highest urbanization rates in Africa, with an annual growth rate of approximately 4.3%. By 2025, urban areas house about 27% of the population, projected to exceed 50% by 2050, driven by rural-urban migration and natural population growth. This rapid shift has led to over-stretched infrastructure, resulting in widespread informal settlements, inadequate housing, and limited access to services like water, sanitation, and energy. The government has implemented initiatives like the Affordable Housing Programme under the "Big Four Agenda," creating over 250,000 jobs since 2022, but challenges persist, including a housing deficit exacerbated by an annual urbanization rate of 4.4%, adding roughly 500,000 new urban dwellers yearly. Environmental degradation, such as land degradation in regions like Eastern Kenya, and climate impacts like flooding and droughts, further complicate urban expansion.

Key Youth Issues

Youth (aged 18-34) constitute about 16.9 million of Kenya's 52.4 million population in 2024, representing a "youth bulge" that offers economic potential but also risks instability if unmet. Unemployment affects 67% of youth aged 15-34, five times the national average, with over one million entering the job market annually. Urban youth face skills mismatches due to automation and climate change, leading to underemployment and involvement in crime or substance abuse. In urban areas, rapid population growth strains education and healthcare, with issues like adolescent pregnancies, school dropouts, and gender-based violence prevalent. Programs like the Youth Enterprise Development Fund provide loans and training, but inadequate funding and market dominance by larger operators limit their impact.

Justification for Youth and Urbanism Organisation's Work

Youth and Urbanism Organisation's focus on youth-led urban community development, climate action, and safe cities directly addresses Kenya's urbanization pitfalls, such as informal settlements and environmental vulnerabilities. By empowering youth in urban planning and sustainability, the organization tackles high youth unemployment through skills-building in green technologies and entrepreneurship, aligning with national efforts like the Climate Worx Programme, which inducted 110,000 youth in 2024 for environmental restoration. Their initiatives in informal settlements promote inclusive urbanism, countering poverty and inequality that fuel social unrest, and support marginalized groups like youth and persons with disabilities. This work is vital as Kenya's youth bulge could drive economic growth if harnessed, but risks becoming a source of instability without targeted interventions.

References to Africa and Global Urbanization

Africa's urbanization rate of 3.5% annually is the world's fastest, with urban populations doubling to 1.4 billion by 2050, absorbing 80% of population growth. Like Kenya, many African countries face slum proliferation (65% in Sub-Saharan Africa) and youth unemployment, with 60% of Africans lacking adequate water and sanitation. Globally, urbanization has risen from 20% in 1950 to 45% in 2025, with two-thirds of growth in cities by 2050, mirroring Kenya's trajectory but with greater infrastructure gaps in developing regions. Kenya's challenges echo global trends, where urban youth face mental health issues and economic exclusion, but Africa's youth surge (45% urban by 2025, rising to 60% by 2050) offers innovation potential if addressed through organizations like Youth and Urbanism.