Innovative policy solutions for education access and peacebuilding in rapidly urbanizing African cities: Nairobi’s school transport initiative

• In Event: Global perspectives on technology, political economy, and (de)funding of international development

Proposal

Globally, half of humanity now lives in urban areas, with Africa’s urban population projected to reach 60% by 2050. Youth under 25 constitute a significant portion of this demographic, with approximately 437 million young Africans expected by mid-century, representing one-third of the global youth population. This youthful, rapidly urbanizing population drives urgent demand for public services, especially education, which is critical for Africa’s socio-economic development and growth (United Nations, 2018; APHRC, 2024).
Despite progress toward Universal Primary and Secondary Education, sub-Saharan Africa still records the highest number of out-of-school children globally, risking a generation lacking skills necessary for economic and social participation (UNESCO, 2023). Rapid urbanization exacerbates these challenges, especially in informal settlements like Nairobi, where dense populations, poverty, and limited educational infrastructure restrict access to quality schooling (Ngware, 2012; Nairobi City County Assembly, 2024; APHRC, 2002). Overcrowded public schools in informal settlements contrast sharply with underutilized schools in affluent neighborhoods, where middle-income families favor private institutions perceived as superior (Oketch, Mutisya, & Ngware, 2019; UNESCO, 2021). This misalignment misallocates immovable educational resources, deepening inequities citywide (APHRC, 2002; Population Matters, 2024).
The Competency-Based Education (CBE) curriculum, emphasizing learner-centered pedagogy, smaller class sizes, and trained teachers, further strains overburdened schools in informal settlements, while under-enrollment leaves resources in affluent schools wasted (Nairobi City County Assembly, 2024; APHRC, 2018; Oketch et al., 2019). Many children undertake unsafe commutes of 3 to 5 kilometers, exposing girls to violence and harassment, and boys face the additional danger of recruitment into gangs and extremist groups, including Al-Shabaab, which has increasingly targeted young men from Kenya’s low-income informal settlements (Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime, 2023; The Star, 2020). Research shows that Al-Shabaab recruitment capitalizes on socio-economic vulnerabilities such as high unemployment, lack of education, poverty, and social exclusion prevalent in these urban slums (Combating Terrorism Center, 2007; Andae, 2014). . Existing transport options, private vans for affluent families, hazardous matatus, NGO buses, and inconsistent county pilots, are insufficient and unreliable (APHRC, 2024; Nairobi City County Assembly, 2024). Mental health challenges, magnified by poverty and insecurity, affect both students and parents, particularly hindering children with disabilities who face compounded barriers (Ssewanyana et al., 2022; Human Rights Watch, 2024).
Kenya's fragmented school transport policies exacerbate unsafe commutes and educational exclusion, underscoring the urgent need for coordinated, government-led transport systems that ensure safe, equitable access for all youth, including vulnerable groups (Population Matters, 2024; Kenya Ministry of Transport, 2025). Addressing this, the study employs a mixed-methods, implementation-focused design approach to examine the efficacy of the proposed legislation and piloting of a sustainable, safe, and reliable school transport system in Nairobi’s informal settlements, combining infrastructural policy with integrated peace education and community safety programs.
This intervention targets educational equity and peacebuilding by reducing gender-based violence, gang recruitment, and extremist influences that threaten school access and community cohesion. The transport system facilitates access to underused schools in affluent neighborhoods, enabling students to benefit from government capitation subsidies, trained teachers, and approved curricula that improve education quality and outcomes (APHRC, 2024; UNESCO, 2023). Structured transport mitigates commute risks and promotes regular attendance and psychosocial well-being, fostering protective community networks that contribute to peacebuilding.
A cost-sharing financial model blends government subsidies with affordable parental and provider contributions, ensuring sustainability and scalability (Kenya Ministry of Finance, 2024; APHRC, 2024). Multi-sectoral collaboration, led by a Technical Working Group, steers policy formulation and advocacy, engaging education and transport agencies, legislators, and civil society through public hearings and media mobilization to secure high-level political endorsement (Nairobi City County Assembly, 2024; APHRC, 2024).
Phased pilot programs assess operational effectiveness, safety standards, enrollment trends, attendance, and psychosocial outcomes, leveraging continuous feedback for adaptive management. Preliminary findings demonstrate increased attendance, improved punctuality and safety, and enhanced mental well-being among beneficiaries, highlighting school transport’s pivotal role in advancing equity, inclusion, and peace in fragmented urban settings.
This study contributes to comparative education by illuminating intersections between educational access, equity, and peacebuilding in underexamined African urban contexts. It exemplifies how strategic legislative advocacy combined with infrastructural innovation can redress spatial and social exclusion ingrained in postcolonial urban environments. The Nairobi bussing initiative illustrates successful cross-national learning and locally tailored policy adaptation, extending comparative education’s reach to fragile urban realities and sustainable development pathways (Brock-Utne, 2021; Crossley & Holmes, 2020).

Authors

• Alvin Joseph Kimani Nyambina, African Population & Health Research Centre

• Kennedy Marigi Kamau, African Population & Health Research Centre