Experts from a variety of fields were also invited to present and react to the students’ research proposals. These included Robert van Kats and Stephen Lewis from DASUDA; Naomi Hoogervorst from Placemakers; Local art historian and lecturer at TUK, Lydia Muthuma; Connie Smith, an anthropologist from University College London; Bernard Mugwima, Director of the Center for Urban Studies at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, as well as our host, Dr. Lawrence Esho, Professor of Architecture and Urban Planning at the Technical University of Kenya.

Later in the week, the students and supervisors met with a diverse group of stakeholders, including a Resident’s Association meeting at Kaloleni (a perfectly-reserved post-war garden city within Nairobi), a series of presentations at UN Habitat, a meeting with members of the Kounkuey Design Initiative and tour of their participatory projects in Kibera, and an interview with Brian Emmanuel Inganga, founder of Change Mtaani.

The event was organized and moderated by Rachel Keeton (Researcher and Program Manager) and Simone Rots (Managing Director) as a way to kick-start the Dutch students’ six weeks of fieldwork in Nairobi. There are plans to host the Kenyan students in the Netherlands later this year as a continuation of this exchange.