2008 United Kingdom bank rescue package and Kibera: Difference between pages

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Kibera in Nairobi, Kenya is the second largest slum in Africa, the largest being Soweto in South Africa, and has a population of perhaps one million^{[citation needed]}. The name "Kibera" is derived from kibra, a Nubian word meaning "forest" or "jungle." ^[1]

The British colonial government of the time allowed the settlement to grow informally, primarily because of the Nubians' status as former servants of the British crown that put the colonial regime in their debt. Furthermore the Nubians, being "Detribalized Natives" had no claim on Land in "Native Reserves". (Parson, Timothy (1997))

After Kenyan independence in 1963, however, various forms of housing were made illegal by the government, rendering Kibera unauthorised on the basis of land tenure. Essentially, since the early 1970s landlords have rented out their property to a significantly greater number of tenants than legality permits. Since the tenants, who are extremely poor, are unable to obtain or rent land that is "legal" according to the Kenyan government, the slum-dwellers find the rates offered to be comparatively affordable. The number of residents in Kibera has increased accordingly despite its unauthorised nature.

This process has been exacerbated because, over time, other tribes have moved into the area to rent land from the Nubian landlords. Since then, the Kikuyu have come to predominate the population and by 1974 had effectively gained control over administrative positions. This occurs primarily through political patronage, as certain owners are protected by local government officers largely based on their Kikuyu ethnicity, and changes in administrative personnel may have drastic impacts on a landlord's security. ^[2]

Kibera has residents coming from all the major ethnic backgrounds with some areas being specifically dominated by one tribe (eg. Kisumu Ndogo that is predominantly Luo). Many are coming from rural areas due to the problems of rural underdevelopment. This multi-ethnic nature coupled with the tribalism of Kenyan politics has led Kibera to be the site of small ethnic conflicts throughout its near 100 year history (most recently in 2002 in which many resident's homes were attacked by arson).

Slum Upgrading

Kibera is one of the most studied slums in Africa, not only because it sits in the centre of the modern city, but also because UN-HABITAT, the United Nations agency for human settlements, is headquartered close by. Ban Ki-moon visited the settlement within a month of his selection as UN secretary-general^[3].

Kibera being one of the most pronounced slums within Kenya is undergoing intensive Slum Upgrading process. The government, UN-HABITAT and a contingent of NGOs notably Maji na Ufanisi are making inroads into the settlements in an attempt to face lift the housing and sanitary conditions.

There are three significant complicating factors to construction or upgrade within Kibera. The first is the rate of petty and serious crime. Building materials cannot be left unattended at any time because there is very high chance of them being stolen. It is not uncommon for owners of storm damaged dwellings to have to camp on top of the remnants of their homes until repairs can be made in order to protect the raw materials from would be thieves.

The second is the lack of building foundations. The ground in much of Kibera is literally composed of refuse and rubbish. Dwellings are often constructed atop this unstable ground and therefore many structures collapse whenever the slum experiences flooding, which it does regularly. This means that even well constructed buildings are often damaged by the collapse of nearby poorly constructed ones.

The third complicating factor is the unyielding topography and cramped sprawl of the area. Few houses have vehicle access and many are at the bottom of steep inclines (which heightens the flooding risk). This means that any construction efforts are made more difficult and costly by the fact that all materials must be brought in by hand.

Geography and culture

Kibera is located southwest of Nairobi city centre and is equal to about 75% of the area of Manhattan's Central Park (approximately 2.5 square kilometres, 256 hectares, or 630 acres). Nairobi Dam is to the south. It is sited approximately 5 km south east of the city centre of Nairobi. It holds more than a quarter of Nairobi's population. The estimated population density is 300,000/km².^[4] There are a number of villages, including Kianda, Soweto, Gatwekera, Kisumu Ndogo, Lindi, Laini Saba, Siranga/Undugu, Makina and Mashimoni^[5]. Its population is put at anything between 600,000 and 1.2 million^[3].

A railway line passes through Kibera, thus passengers heading for Kisumu can view the slum. Kibera has a railway station, but due to absence of effective commuter train system in Nairobi, most Kibera residents use buses and Matatus to reach city centre. However, riding the Matatus proves to be considerably dangerous, due to the occasional carjacking that goes on in Nairobi especially in the evenings and at the end of the month. Irresponsible driving in the area and poor traffic law enforcement also makes travel perilous.

Kibera is heavily polluted by soot, dust, and other wastes. Open sewage routes, in addition to the common use of Flying toilets, also contribute to contamination of the slum with human and animal faeces. The combination of poor nutrition and lack of sanitation accounts for many illnesses. Not only are death by disease and conflict common inside this slum, but it is estimated that 1/5 of the 2.2 million Kenyans living with HIV live in Kibera.

Kibera is home to the popular Olympic Primary School, one of the leading government schools in the country.

References in popular culture

File:KiberaKid small.jpg

Screen shot from Kibera Kid, Nathan Collett's 2006 film.

Kibera is featured in Fernando Meirelles's film The Constant Gardener, which is based on the book of the same name by John le Carré. It is also mentioned in the music video World On Fire by Sarah McLachlan, which profiled the work of Carolina for Kibera, a grassroots organization named a Hero of Global Health in 2005 by Time Magazine.^[6] Robert Neuwirth devotes a chapter of his book Shadow Cities to Kibera. Michael Holman's 2005 novel Last Orders at Harrods is based in a fictional version of the slum, called Kireba. Bill Bryson visited Africa for CARE and wrote a companion book called "Bill Bryson's African Diary" which includes a description of his visit to Kibera. Kibera is also the backdrop for the award-winning short film Kibera Kid which featured a cast entirely drawn from Kibera residents. The film has played in film festivals worldwide including the Berlin Film Festival and won a Student Emmy from Hollywood. In his documentary Living with Corruption Sorious Samura stayed with a family in Kibera to film the corruption that occurs even at the lowest levels of Kenyan society. Furthermore, Kibera is portrayed in the Austrian 2007 documentary Über Wasser: Menschen und gelbe Kanister.

Notes

^ Affordable Housing Institute blog
^ The geography of Third World cities. ISBN 0-389-20671-7. (Lowder, Stella)
^ ^a ^b "The Strange Allure of the Slums", The Economist, 5th May 2007.
^ WarmAfrica.com article
^ Map at Caroline for Kibera
^ Yunus Ndeti - A Brief History of Kibera, 2003 [1]

External links

1°19′S 36°47′E / 1.317°S 36.783°E / -1.317; 36.783

[1] Affordable Housing Institute blog

[lowder-2] The geography of Third World cities. ISBN 0-389-20671-7. (Lowder, Stella)

[econ-3] "The Strange Allure of the Slums", The Economist, 5th May 2007.

[4] WarmAfrica.com article

[5] Map at Caroline for Kibera

[ndeti-6] Yunus Ndeti - A Brief History of Kibera, 2003 [1]

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

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+[[Image:kibera.jpg|300px|thumb|View of Kibera]]
-{{Current|date=October 2008}}
+'''Kibera''' in [[Nairobi]], [[Kenya]] is the second largest [[slum]] in [[Africa]], the largest being [[Soweto]] in [[South Africa]], and has a population of perhaps one million{{Fact|date=February 2008}}. The name "Kibera" is derived from ''kibra'', a Nubian word meaning "forest" or "jungle." <ref>[http://www.affordablehousinginstitute.org/blogs/us/2005/07/kibera_africas.html Affordable Housing Institute blog]</ref>
-[[Image:AlistairDarlingABr.JPG|thumb|200px|[[Alistair Darling]]]]
-A '''bank rescue package''' totalling some £500 billion (US$860 billion) was announced by the [[Her Majesty's Government|British Government]] on 8 October 2008, as a response to the [[Global financial crisis of September-October, 2008|ongoing financial crisis]]. After two unsteady weeks at the end of September, the first week of October had seen major falls in the [[stock market]] and severe worries about the stability of British banks. The plan aimed to restore market confidence and help stabilise the British banking system, and provided for a range of short-term loans and guarantees of interbank lending, as well as up to £50 billion of state investment in the banks themselves.
-== Background ==
+The [[British Empire|British]] colonial government of the time allowed the settlement to grow informally, primarily because of the Nubians' status as former servants of the British crown that put the colonial regime in their debt. Furthermore the Nubians, being "Detribalized Natives" had no claim on Land in "Native Reserves". (Parson, Timothy (1997))
-The announcement occurred less than 48 hours after Britain's leading share index, the [[FTSE100]], recorded its largest single-day points fall since 1987.<ref> {{cite web |title=Stocks slide despite reassurances |publisher=[[BBC News]] |date=2008-10-06 |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7655288.stm |accessdate=2008-10-08}} </ref> A similar [[bailout]] package had been passed in the United States the previous week, as the [[Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008]]. Details of the rescue package were worked on overnight and were finalised at 05:00.
+After Kenyan independence in 1963, however, various forms of housing were made illegal by the government, rendering Kibera unauthorised on the basis of land tenure. Essentially, since the early 1970s [[landlords]] have rented out their property to a significantly greater number of tenants than legality permits. Since the tenants, who are extremely poor, are unable to obtain or rent land that is "legal" according to the Kenyan government, the slum-dwellers find the rates offered to be comparatively affordable. The number of residents in Kibera has increased accordingly despite its unauthorised nature.
-== The rescue plan ==
+This process has been exacerbated because, over time, other tribes have moved into the area to rent land from the Nubian landlords. Since then, the [[Kikuyu]] have come to predominate the population and by 1974 had effectively gained control over administrative positions. This occurs primarily through political patronage, as certain owners are protected by local government officers largely based on their Kikuyu ethnicity, and changes in administrative personnel may have drastic impacts on a landlord's security. <ref name=lowder>''The geography of Third World cities''. ISBN 0-389-20671-7. (Lowder, Stella)</ref>
-The plan provides for several sources of funding to be made available, to an aggregate total of £500 billion in loans and guarantees. Most simply, £200 billion will be made available for short terms loans through the [[Bank of England]]'s [[Special Liquidity Scheme]].  Secondly, the Government will support British banks in their plan to increase their market capitalisation through the newly formed [[Bank Recapitalisation Fund]], by £25 billion in the first instance with a further £25 billion to be called upon if needed. Thirdly, the Government will temporarily underwrite any eligible lending between British banks, giving a loan guarantee of around £250 billion.<ref name="Treasury">{{cite web|url=http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/statement_chx_081008.htm|title= Statement by the Chancellor on financial stability|last=Darling|first=Alastair|date=8 October 2008|publisher=HM treasury|language=English|accessdate=2008-10-09}}</ref> However, only £400 billion of this is 'fresh money', as there is already in place a system for short term loans to the value of £100 billion.<ref name="Central"> {{cite web |title=Central banks cut interest rates |publisher=[[BBC News]] |date=2008-10-08 |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7658277.stm |accessdate=2008-10-08}} </ref>
+Kibera has residents coming from all the major ethnic backgrounds with some areas being specifically dominated by one tribe (eg. Kisumu Ndogo that is predominantly Luo). Many are coming from rural areas due to the problems of rural underdevelopment. This multi-ethnic nature coupled with the tribalism of Kenyan politics has led Kibera to be the site of small ethnic conflicts throughout its near 100 year history (most recently in 2002 in which many resident's homes were attacked by arson).
-Through the Bank Recapitalisation Fund, the government will buy [[preference shares]] in the [[bank]]s; these shares will take priority in the event of a liquidation, and will pay a dividend but hold no voting rights. The amount and proportion of the stake that will be taken in any one bank has yet to be determined. Banks that take the rescue packages will have restrictions on [[executive pay]] and [[dividend]]s to existing shareholders, as well as a mandate to offer reasonable credit to homeowners and small businesses.<ref name="Central"/> The long-term government plan is to offset the cost of this program by receiving dividends from these shares<ref name="Treasury"/>, and in the long run, to sell the shares after a market recovery.<ref name="Central"/> This plan may potentially extend to underwriting new issues of shares by any participating bank.<ref name="Treasury"/> The plan has been characterised as, in effect, [[nationalization|partial nationalisation]].<ref>{{cite news
-|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/oct/08/creditcrunch.banking
-|title=Government to spend £50bn to part-nationalise UK's banks
-|publisher=The Guardian
-|date=2008-10-08
-|accessdate=2008-10-08
-|first=Graeme
-|last=Wearden
-|coauthors=
-}}</ref>
+==Slum Upgrading==
-[[Alastair Darling]], the [[Chancellor of the Exchequer]], told the [[British House of Commons|House of Commons]] in a statement on 8 October 2008 that the proposals were "designed to restore confidence in the banking system", and that the funding would "put the banks on a stronger footing".<ref> {{cite web |title=Hansard |publisher=Hansard |date=2008-10-06 |url=http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200708/cmhansrd/cm081008/debtext/81008-0004.htm#08100877000003 |accessdate=2008-10-10}}</ref>. Prime Minister [[Gordon Brown]] suggested that the government's actions had 'led the way' for other nations to follow whilst [[Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer|Shadow Chancellor]] [[George Osborne]] stated that "This is the final chapter of the age of irresponsibility and it’s absolutely extraordinary that a government has been driven by events to today's announcement";<ref>in addition to offering conservative party support for the plan. {{cite web |last=Barker |first=Alex |title=Brown says UK leads world with rescue |publisher=[[Financial Times]] |date=2008-10-08 |url=http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/a3fb9670-951c-11dd-aedd-000077b07658.html?nclick_check=1 |accessdate=2008-10-08}} </ref>
+Kibera is one of the most studied slums in Africa, not only because it sits in the centre of the modern city, but also because [[UN-HABITAT]], the [[United Nations]] agency for human settlements, is headquartered close by. [[Ban Ki-moon]] visited the settlement within a month of his selection as UN secretary-general<ref name=econ>"The Strange Allure of the Slums", ''[[The Economist]]'', 5th May 2007.</ref>.
+Kibera being one of the most pronounced slums within Kenya is undergoing intensive [[Slum Upgrading]] process. The government, UN-HABITAT and a contingent of NGOs notably Maji na Ufanisi are making inroads into the settlements in an attempt to face lift the housing and sanitary conditions.
-The British rescue plan differs from the [[Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008|$700bn US bailout]] formally entitled the [[Troubled Asset Relief Program]] (TARP), in that the £50bn being invested by the U.K. Government will see them purchasing 'preference shares' from the banks (which in the future could see a return being made to the taxpayer), whereas the American program is primarily devoted to the [[US Government]] purchasing the mortgage backed securities of the American banks which are not able to be sold in the secondary mortgage securities market. The U.S. program does require the U.S. government to take an equity interest in financial organisations selling their securities into the [[TARP]] <ref>{{cite web |title=Q&A: How will the UK bailout work? |publisher=[[CNN]] |date=2008-10-08 |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2008/BUSINESS/10/08/uk.bailout.questions/index.html |accessdate=2008-10-08}} </ref>
+There are three significant complicating factors to construction or upgrade within Kibera. The first is the rate of petty and serious crime. Building materials cannot be left unattended at any time because there is very high chance of them being stolen. It is not uncommon for owners of storm damaged dwellings to have to camp on top of the remnants of their homes until repairs can be made in order to protect the raw materials from would be thieves.
-==Participating banks==
+The second is the lack of building foundations. The ground in much of Kibera is literally composed of refuse and rubbish. Dwellings are often constructed atop this unstable ground and therefore many structures collapse whenever the slum experiences flooding, which it does regularly. This means that even well constructed buildings are often damaged by the collapse of nearby poorly constructed ones.
-The plan is open to all UK based banks and so far the following banks have signed up for the plan<ref name="Central"/>:
+The third complicating factor is the unyielding [[topography]] and cramped sprawl of the area. Few houses have vehicle access and many are at the bottom of steep inclines (which heightens the flooding risk). This means that any construction efforts are made more difficult and costly by the fact that all materials must be brought in by hand.
-*[[Abbey (bank)|Abbey]]
-*[[Barclays plc]]
-*[[HBOS]]
-*[[HSBC Bank (Europe)|HSBC]]
-*[[Lloyds TSB]]
-*[[Nationwide Building Society]] (a [[building society]])
-*[[Royal Bank of Scotland]]
-*[[Standard Chartered Bank]]
+==Geography and culture==
-== See also ==
+Kibera is located southwest of Nairobi city centre and is equal to about 75% of the area of Manhattan's [[Central Park]] (approximately 2.5 square kilometres, 256 hectares, or 630 acres). [[Nairobi Dam]] is to the south. It is sited approximately 5 km south east of the city centre of Nairobi. It holds more than a quarter of Nairobi's population. The estimated population density is 300,000/km².<ref>[http://www.warmafrica.com/index/geo/8/cat/1/a/a/artid/541 WarmAfrica.com article]</ref> There are a
-* [[Government intervention due to subprime crisis]]
+number of villages, including Kianda, Soweto, Gatwekera, Kisumu Ndogo, Lindi, Laini Saba, Siranga/Undugu, Makina and Mashimoni<ref>[http://cfk.unc.edu/misc/map1.html Map at Caroline for Kibera]</ref>. Its population is put at anything between 600,000 and 1.2 million<ref name="econ"/>.
+[[Uganda Railway|A railway line]] passes through Kibera, thus passengers heading for [[Kisumu]] can view the slum. Kibera has a railway station, but due to absence of effective commuter train system in Nairobi, most Kibera residents use buses and [[Matatu]]s to reach city centre. However, riding the Matatus proves to be considerably dangerous, due to the occasional carjacking that goes on in Nairobi especially in the evenings and at the end of the month. Irresponsible driving in the area and poor traffic law enforcement also makes travel perilous.
-== References ==
-{{reflist}}
+Kibera is heavily polluted by soot, dust, and other wastes. Open sewage routes, in addition to the common use of [[Flying toilet]]s, also contribute to contamination of the slum with human and animal faeces. The combination of poor nutrition and lack of sanitation accounts for many illnesses. Not only are death by disease and conflict common inside this slum, but it is estimated that 1/5 of the 2.2 million Kenyans living with HIV live in Kibera.
-== External links ==
-* [http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/press_100_08.htm HM Treasury Press Notice 100/08] Financial support to the banking industry
+Kibera is home to the popular [[Olympic Primary School]], one of the leading government schools in the country.
-{{Economic Crisis}}
+==References in popular culture==
-[[Category:2000s economic history]]
+[[Image:KiberaKid small.jpg|thumb|left|Screen shot from ''[[Kibera Kid]]'', Nathan Collett's 2006 film.]]
-[[Category:2008 in economics|United Kingdom bank rescue package]]
+Kibera is featured in [[Fernando Meirelles]]'s film ''[[The Constant Gardener (film)|The Constant Gardener]]'', which is based on the [[The Constant Gardener|book of the same name]] by [[John le Carré]].  It is also mentioned in the music video ''[[World on Fire (song)|World On Fire]]'' by [[Sarah McLachlan]], which profiled the work of [[Carolina for Kibera]], a grassroots organization named a Hero of Global Health in 2005 by Time Magazine.<ref name=ndeti>Yunus Ndeti - A Brief History of Kibera, 2003 [http://www.oneworld.net/article/view/71289/1/]</ref>
-[[Category:2008 in the United Kingdom|Bank rescue package]]
+[[Robert Neuwirth]] devotes a chapter of his book ''Shadow Cities'' to Kibera.  Michael Holman's 2005 novel ''Last Orders at Harrods'' is based in a fictional version of the slum, called ''Kireba''. [[Bill Bryson]] visited Africa for [[CARE]] and wrote a companion book called "Bill Bryson's African Diary" which includes a description of his visit to Kibera.  Kibera is also the backdrop for the award-winning short film [[Kibera Kid]] which featured a cast entirely drawn from Kibera residents. The film has played in film festivals worldwide including the [[Berlin Film Festival]] and won a [[Student Emmy]] from [[Hollywood]]. In his documentary ''Living with Corruption'' [[Sorious Samura]] stayed with a family in Kibera to film the corruption that occurs even at the lowest levels of Kenyan society. Furthermore, Kibera is portrayed in the Austrian 2007 documentary ''Über Wasser: Menschen und gelbe Kanister''.
-[[Category:Economic history of the United Kingdom]]
-[[Category:Banking in the United Kingdom]]
+==See also==
+*[[Toi Market]]
+*[[Community Support Group]]
+==Notes==
+;
+<div class="references-small" style="-moz-column-count:2; column-count:2;"><references/>
+</div>
+;
+==External links==
+*[http://clpmag.org/content/contentpages/2008/articles/Stuteville_Kibera.php Clean Water for Kenyans: Multimedia story on Water Sanitation Projects in Kibera]
+* [http://legalempowerment.undp.org/images/Africa/1.htm Commission on Legal Empowerment of the Poor: Photo story of the Toi Market in Kenya]
+* [http://tv.oneworld.net/article/view/156934/ Documentary about Kibera on [[OneWorldTV]]]
+* [http://cfk.unc.edu/ Carolina For Kibera]
+*[http://www.buykiberakid.com/ Kibera Kid Site and DVD]
+* [http://www.kiberakid.com/ Award winning film [[Kibera Kid]]]
+*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--dpoO3ACRU KIBERA KID Trailer]
+* [http://www.shofco.org/ Focus on Kibera: Shining Hope for Community (SHOFCO)]
+* [http://www.gsd.harvard.edu/events/webcasts Harvard Design Students presentation about Kibera: Kounkuey Design Initiative (KDI)]*
+*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSV6aW4-sOQ&v3 NEWS REPORT ON KIBERA, KIBERA KID ]
+* [http://www.metropolismag.com/cda/story.php?Θartid=2287 Greening the Ivory Tower: University design programs focus on social + environmental sustainability (Kibera featured)]
+** [http://kiberakid.blogspot.com Follow the progress of the KIBERA KID feature film project]
+* [http://www.lahash.net/mov/kibera-visit.html Lahash short film from the slums]
+* [http://haibafoundation.org/ Haiba Foundation]
+* [http://www.csgkibera.org/ CSG Kibera]
+* [http://www.kcyp.kabissa.org/ Kibera Community Youth Programme]
+* [http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&t=k&ie=UTF8&om=1&ll=-1.313223,36.787634&spn=0.028874,0.045404 Satellite map of Kibera]
+* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/2297279.stm BBC News: Nairobi Slum Life]
+* [http://www.tenderfeet.org/ Tenderfeet website]
+* [http://www.oasisafrica.net/ Oasis Africa - Australia/New Zealand Charity for Kiberian Orphans]
+* [http://kenya.indymedia.org/news/2007/01/450.php Kibera slums, Macharias journey: Kibera and a story of Hope]
+* [http://phanyly.blogspot.com/ Video and Article on a Community Theatre for Development project in Kibera ]
+* [http://www.domnik.net/topoi/commons/KE/nairobi/kibera/ Photos from Kibera]
+* [http://www.allroadsleadtokibera.com/ All Roads Lead to Kibera: Documentary about life in Africa's largest slum]
+* [http://www.nsspt.org/ Nairobi Slums School Projects Trust]
+* [http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=74946 Slum Survivors] Documentary film by [[IRIN]]
+* [http://commonco.typepad.com/8months/2007/11/the-great-chall.html] Article about the Kenya Slum Upgrading Program
+{{Nairobi}}
+{{coord|1|19|S|36|47|E|region:KE_type:city_source:GNS-enwiki|display=title}}
+[[Category:Suburbs of Nairobi]]
+[[Category:Informal settlements]]
+[[Category:Slums]]
+[[Category:Lists of slums]]
+[[cs:Kibera]]
+[[de:Kibera]]
+[[es:Kibera]]
+[[fr:Kibera]]
+[[it:Kibera]]
+[[sw:Kibera]]
+[[lt:Kibera]]
+[[ja:キベラ]]
+[[no:Kibera]]
+[[pl:Kibera]]
+[[pt:Kibera]]
+[[ru:Кибера]]
+[[fi:Kibera]]
+[[sv:Kibera]]