The University of Nairobi’s (UoN) Master’s in Urban Planning curriculum has changed only slightly since the programme was introduced in 1971, raising questions about how well university training has kept pace with changing urban development needs.
The finding appears in a World Bank report titled Managing, Financing, and Governing Sub-Saharan Africa’s Rapid Urbanisation, which cites a 2015 UN-Habitat review of university urban planning curricula in Kenya.
According to the report, the review found that the UoN had made only minor changes to its Master’s in Urban Planning curriculum since its establishment more than five decades ago.
“A recent OECD (2005) review of 130 urban plans from 47 SSA countries found that more than half either failed to prepare for urban growth at all or inaccurately predicted urban expansion,” the report states.
“Moreover, a UN-Habitat (2015) review of university urban planning curricula in Kenya revealed that the University of Nairobi has made only minor changes to the curriculum of its master’s in urban planning since its initiation in 1971.”
The observation appears in a section examining the availability and quality of professionals needed to manage the rapid expansion of cities across Sub-Saharan Africa.
Also Read: University of Nairobi Slapped with Ultimatum to Explain Unpaid Payslip Deductions
World Bank Questions UoN’s Master’s in Urban Planning Curriculum, Warns Against Poor Quality Training
The report argues that producing more urban professionals will not necessarily address the region’s planning challenges unless universities and training institutions also improve the quality of their graduates.
“Any surge in the quantity of urban professionals needs to be matched by a quality surge,” the World Bank states.
It further cautions that increasing the number of professionals without improving their training could have little impact or even worsen existing urban development challenges.
“Without a quality surge, the impact of an increased supply may be null, or even detrimental,” the report adds.
The concern comes against a backdrop of a shortage of professionals responsible for planning, designing and managing urban areas across the region.
The report compares the number of engineers, architects and urban planners per 1,000 people in Sub-Saharan Africa with the United Kingdom using 2019 data.
Its figures show that Sub-Saharan Africa had approximately 0.22 engineers per 1,000 people, compared with 0.63 in the United Kingdom.
For architects, the ratio stood at 0.033 in Sub-Saharan Africa against 0.62 in the UK, while urban planners accounted for just 0.01 per 1,000 people compared with 0.33 in the UK.
Also Read: How Ayub Njoroge Gitau Spent 24 Years at UoN, Rising from Lecturer to Vice-Chancellor
More Than Half of African Urban Plans Failed to Prepare for Growth
The World Bank also highlights weaknesses in urban planning across the continent, citing a 2005 review by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
The review examined 130 urban plans from 47 Sub-Saharan African countries and found that more than half either failed to prepare for urban growth or inaccurately predicted how cities would expand.
The findings point to difficulties governments face in anticipating population increases and putting in place infrastructure and services to accommodate growing urban communities.
Poor planning can leave cities struggling to provide adequate housing, roads, sanitation, water and other essential services as more people move into urban areas.
The report links these challenges to the need for both an increased supply of qualified urban professionals and improvements in the quality of their training.
Kenya’s Devolution Faces Challenges in Urban Service Delivery
The World Bank report also examines Kenya’s progress in decentralising governance and delivering services through county governments since the 2010 Constitution introduced devolution.
The reform established 47 county governments, each headed by an elected governor and supported by a county assembly. It also introduced city and municipal boards to oversee urban management, while county administrations took responsibility for planning and delivering infrastructure and services.
The report notes that devolution has produced mixed results. Counties have taken control of services such as solid waste management and local roads, with improvements in some urban areas through partnerships with neighbourhoods and private-sector players.
However, challenges remain, particularly limited local capacity in urban planning, revenue collection and financial management, as well as coordination problems.
The report also highlights a contradiction in Kenya’s decentralisation process. While devolution strengthened accountability at the county level, the Urban Areas and Cities Act of 2011 replaced elected municipal and local bodies with boards appointed by county governments.
This meant urban residents gained greater accountability at the county level but lost direct representation at the local level, which oversees many urban services.
Follow our WhatsApp Channel and X Account for real-time news updates and subscribe to our YouTube Channel for in-depth interviews.
