Dandora

Dandora is an eastern suburb in Nairobi, Kenya. It is part of the Embakasi division. Dandora is divided into five phases. Dandora was established in 1977, with partial financing by the World Bank in order to offer higher standard of housing [1]. However, the estate has turned into high-density slum with high unemployment. Nairobi's principal dumping site is situated in Dandora, probably causing health problems for local residents. The Dandora Oxygenation Ponds, a prominent feature on satellite imagery of the area, is Nairobi's main sewage treatment works, and discharges processed water in to Nairobi River.^[1]

Dandora was listed by the Blacksmith Institute as one of the most polluted sites in the world.^[2]

Recently many Kenyan hip hop groups have emerged from Dandora, for example Kalamashaka. Hip Hop culture has developed and played such a significant role in Dandora that many artist are determined to use hip hop as a positive community force. Recently visits by American hip hop artist group Dead Prez has increased attention to the impoverished condition of Dandora. “Hip-hop is a powerful tool that we can use to educate those in the darkness so if a rapper grabs the microphone to rap about jewellery and material riches when his community is very poor then he is lying to the people because what he’s rapping about is not true. Our communities are poor we don’t own nothing so why should we rap about things we don’t own. The big companies pimping us so we should not easily fall in the trap,” expressed by a member of Dead Prez on visit. Dandora is finally beginning to gain momentum in gaining attention to the humanitarian and environmental issues in the slum.

References

1. ^ BirdLife IBA Factsheet
2. ^ World's Worst Polluted Places 2007

<http://www.africanhiphop.com/index.php?module=subjects&func=viewpage&pageid=281>

Coordinates: 1°15′S 36°54′E / 1.25°S 36.9°E / -1.25; 36.9