Which are some of the major slums in Mombasa?

It is always difficult to know the cut-off point from which we differentiate 'low income neighborhoods' from 'slums'. Thus, what appears as a 'slum' to one person in Mombasa may not actually qualify to be termed as a slum from another person’s perspective. That being said, one of the areas within Mombasa island (Tudor area) that is widely viewed as a slum is Muoroto. Others that are viewed as slums within Mombasa Island are Kaa Chonjo (which is in Tudor area as well) and Burukenge. There is also that area just after Ganjoni along the old railway line where there are some structures that would perhaps qualify to be termed as a slums, near KPA staff quarters.

On the western side of Mombasa, areas that are considered to be slums include Kibarani (which is to be found between the Kibarani Bridge and the Changamwe round about/interchange along the old railway line) and Bangladesh. Others are kwa Skembo (along the southern bypass, just around the port rietz hospital) and Kalahari which is somewhere near KPA’s gate number 18.

These seemingly slum areas offer very affordable accommodation for people who are down and out as well as people who have recently arrived in Mombasa and are yet to find their niches. Mombasa slum areas tend to have a mix of quite decent houses and some very badly off dwellings. Like the last time I checked in Kibarani, there were relatively decent dwellings going for up to 2,500 shillings, but also some rather badly off dwellings going for as little as 700.