Diversion of Population and Capital to ‘Peri-urban Magnet’, Invasion of Farmlands and Threat to Rural Livelihoods in Kenya

Abstract

Diversion of Population and Capital to ‘Peri-urban Magnet’, Invasion of Farmlands and Threat to Rural Livelihoods in Kenya; article identifies the steps involved in the formation of the ‘peri-urban magnet’. Using evidence from recent research findings by the author and augmented by data from desk-based literature review, this paper identifies the steps involved in the formation of the ‘peri-urban magnet’ and demonstrates why and how the magnet threatens rural livelihoods.Due to urban and rural zones occurring as separate enclaves in some societies, developers tend to avoid the often-regulated urban core in favor of the less regulated rural-urban interface in order to maximize profits. The middle class detest congestion and crime in the core areas of the city, yet, they cannot afford alternative homes in the less congested and fairly quiet areas of the city; for example, Karen and Muthaiga in Nairobi. For this reason, areas outside the city become attractive to the middle-class because such areas are fairly quiet and developers have the freedom to build houses of their taste. Home seekers, labor, speculators, real estate investors and infrastructure providers agglomerate in and around the ‘peri-urban magnet’ in a circular, causative and cumulative process. For this reason, this paper establishes that the ‘peri-urban magnet’ is attractive and invasive, making horizontal incursions into the rural zone and, thus, consuming farmlands and threatens food security and rural livelihoods. To avert the catastrophic process, policy must review the urban rural relations.