In the densely populated settlement of Kibera, Nairobi’s largest informal settlement, a grassroots group of young mappers has built a digital map that is changing how the slum is seen, understood and served by local government.
The project, known as Map Kibera, began in 2009 with the goal of putting Kibera on the map—literally. Using handheld GPS devices, mobile phones and open-source tools, local volunteers ventured to document details that were largely missing in official maps, such as water points, latrines, clinics, informal schools, trash sites and security hotspots.
The team have ended up with a living database of critical infrastructure, shaped by those who know the ground best. When floods strike, local citizen journalists trained through the project use mapped data to direct first responders to the worst-hit areas.
Data mapping that both improves and saves lives
During Kenya’s 2017 elections, community mappers helped identify conflict flashpoints. Critically, they produced real-time maps that guided journalists and residents to safe zones. And in the wake of COVID-19, Map Kibera’s team geotagged handwashing stations and tracked mask distribution efforts to better coordinate health outreach.
“Map Kibera was initiated in response to the lack of available map data and other public, open, and shared information about one of the world’s most well-known slums,” explained co-founder Erica Hagen.
“Other parts of Nairobi were well documented by online and paper maps, but the city’s most densely populated parts—the informal settlements—remained invisible. Our basic goal was to alter the existing local information dynamic by helping residents to amplify their views using increasingly accessible new technologies.”
That visibility is bearing fruit. The Kenyan government uses Map Kibera’s data to guide the provision of important social amenities and services. Local NGOs have tapped into the maps for service planning. And urban researchers regularly draw from the group’s openly published datasets to understand informal infrastructure in East Africa’s growing cities.
Map Kibera’s impact is growing
But the most transformative change is local. In Mukuru and Mathare, other large settlements where the model has since been replicated, trained youth now lead participatory mapping projects that advocate for drainage upgrades and sanitation improvements.
RESET.ORG spoke with two beneficiaries of the project to understand its on-the-ground impact.
“Before, no one knew where our clinic was, not even the government. Now it is on the map, and that helped us apply for county support,” Faith Atieno, a community health volunteer in Laini Saba area of Kibera, told RESET.
“When garbage piled up, we used to complain to the chief. Nothing changed. Now we use the digital map to show exactly where the problem is, and it gets cleaned faster,” added David Okoth, a youth organiser in the Soweto East area.
Map Kibera’s work goes beyond data collection. The organisation also runs Voice of Kibera, a hyperlocal news platform powered by community reporters, many of whom began as mappers. Using geotagged reporting, the platform tells stories from the ground, such as sanitation block failures, protests or school closures, thus giving local journalism spatial accuracy.
Clean data for rubbish collection
In December 2023 to mid-January 2024, Map Kibera partnered with a community-based organisation in Mukuru to survey over 2,000 households and drainage sites. This exercise informed where community bins should be placed and waste management improved overall across several zones.
Map Kibera also conducted a “Measuring Lights Impact” survey across several villages to assess streetlight functionality and community safety. The results of the survey informed solar-powered lighting installations.
Still, Map Kibera insists on keeping its methods simple and accessible. “Our goal has always been to make this replicable by the community itself,” said Hagen. “It is not about fancy tech, it is about tools people can actually use.”
Their model has drawn global interest. Researchers, urban planners and social innovators have cited Map Kibera as a pioneer in participatory GIS (Geographic Information Systems). It has been profiled by CNN, BBC, and Wired magazine.
What sets Map Kibera apart from tools like Google Maps or other satellite-driven platforms is its ethic of community authorship. Every point on the map has been captured by the residents. The data is public, downloadable and free to use.
Putting Nairobi’s invisible spaces on the map—and into the conversation
For a long time, Kenya’s informal settlements such as Kibera were data deserts. Their exclusion from official planning documents largely led to their needs being ignored by service providers. By filling that gap, Map Kibera has not only changed the narrative but also improved the ability of residents to demand and shape services.
The team’s official site and blog offer detailed breakdowns of current and past projects, along with open access to the maps themselves.
Whether documenting sewer lines in Makina or tracking streetlight coverage in Gatwekera, Map Kibera is showing how digital tools—wielded from the grassroots—can reshape urban visibility from the bottom up.
In a city that has too often ignored its invisible spaces, Map Kibera’s digital mapping is forcing institutions to reckon with what is plainly on the ground. And, finally, on the map.
