PHASE I: KINATCO Community Centre  (completed June 2021) 

Mathare is the 2nd largest informal settlement in Nairobi, with a population of half a million people, living in roughly half of a square mile. This condensed community is teeming with social innovation, while also grappling with sub-par public services and infrastructure. Due to Mathare’s high density, there is a burdensome lack of common space.

The KINATCO Community Center project was completed after a 2-year participatory design process. This community-driven project has counted on the contribution of various Kenyan and international architects, engineers, urbanists and construction managers, alongside invaluable community leadership in realizing the vision of Mathare residents for an inclusive and multi-functional center.

The new building has sustainability and resilience in mind, less flammable materials, two exits in the case of an emergency, and designed to promote ventilation and natural light. Additional sustainability measures planned for Phase II.

PHASE II: KINATCO outdoor gathering space & environmental projects (proposed)

The river that runs behind KINATCO is one of the main rivers in Nairobi, and the most polluted. Mathare lacks proper sanitation, water treatment, and basic waste management infrastructure and services.


This next phase involves developing an outdoor gathering space for community activities, a rainwater collection system and storage tank, and environmental projects program space.

The KINATCO Community Center project is providing an essential and flexible space for Mathare residents, accommodating a variety of community activities such as sexual and reproductive health workshops, youth mentorship activities, and a yoga and wellness program. The center has not only expanded and improved on the community’s access to a collectively-managed space, but it has created new synergies among the local organizations that work for positive change for the Mathare people.

PHASE II:
Through education and skill-building programs that engage youth and community-based groups, this next phase will enhance communal spaces and provide resources to support the development of programs to build basic sanitation, wastewater and waste management infrastructure and services, thereby creating opportunities for connection, education, jobs, agency, and healthier environments.

As with Phase I, wherever possible, Phase II will involve training and capacity-building opportunities for local stakeholders, which also contributes to community ownership. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) will be signed between MaSCA and a community advisory committee to formalize their support.

The project will involve significant collaboration with the Mathare Slums Community Association (MaSCA), the organizational lead, as well as several other community-based partner organizations working on a range of initiatives, such as environmental protection, youth engagement, women’s empowerment, and multimedia arts. Learn more here: https://mathare.org/get-involved/ 

Luís Macedo - Lead Architect
Luís is a Portuguese Architect with experience in Urban Planning working for UN-Habitat. He is interested in participatory processes, emergency response and risk management. Luís was the head architect and designer for the KINATCO Phase I.

Emily Nyamubura - Community Field Coordinator
Emily was born and lives in Mathare, Kenya. She is very active in the Mathare community and enthusiastically seeks new programs that MaSCA can support. She has been the community engagement program manager for MaSCA for the past 5 years.

Aviva Shapiro - Project Manager
Background in sustainable architectural and environmental engineering and design from Carleton University in Canada. She has experience in project facilitation, and professional and field experience in sustainability and construction projects. Contributed to KINATCO through MaSCA, facilitating and supporting fundraising, design and construction.

Katie Cashman - Project Advisor 
An urban planner who is passionate about creative and collaborative public space development, especially in the challenging environment of Mathare. She was the project co-ordinator for Phase I and has been instrumental in growing MaSCA through communications and fundraising.

Charles Onyango - Lead Project Manager
Born and grew up in Mathare. Co-founder of the Mathare Slums Community Association (MaSCA), among others. Charles has a background in Civil Engineering from Algonquin College and has been working in the field both as a supervisor and technician in Canada for 14 years. He is the lead Project Manager for KINATCO Project.