Reclaiming the Sidewalk: The Class Politics of Walking in Nairobi

“Walking from Upper Hill to town to save 30 KES has to be studied as a con scam.” -@sifa_bavina

“Is it only in Nairobi where walking is looked down upon?” - @CiruMuriuki

"30 x 2= 60 to and from work. By 30 days that's 1800 large, enough to get you Smirnoff Vodka,''@muriith1_e

Today’s post comes from a pair of viral tweets that lit up Kenyan X and, unintentionally, exposed just how deeply class politics shape the way we view something as basic as walking.

The first mocked the frugality of a short walk. The second, a reply to the first tweet, questioned whether Nairobi is unique in treating walking as suspicious or laughable. Both drew thousands of reactions, revealing a shared undercurrent: in Nairobi, walking is too often read as a marker of poverty, not a practical or even healthy choice.

What Nairobi really looks like on the ground

Forget the jokes for a moment and look at the data:

• Walking accounts for 40–47% of daily trips in Nairobi (ITDP).

• Public transport absorbs most of the rest, while private vehicles carry roughly 13–15% of people but dominate road space and budgets (ScienceDirect).

Yet infrastructure tells a different story: sidewalks are incomplete or blocked, crossings are rare, and road expansion still prioritizes cars.

Why the stigma matters

Mocking a KES 30 saving ignores a bigger truth:

• That’s nearly KES 1,500 a month for someone earning the minimum wage .

• Daily walking provides free exercise and reduces congestion.

• Pedestrian fatalities make up about 65% of road deaths in Nairobi , yet public outrage is minimal and headlines often blame victims.

When walking is framed as shameful, policy and budget decisions follow suit leaving the majority of commuters less safe.

A Nairobi worth walking

From Kibera’s winding footpaths to Kenyatta Avenue at midday, Nairobi is already a walking city. What it lacks is the respect and investment that reality deserves.

So yes, walk from Upper Hill to town if you want. Save the 30 bob. Call a friend along the way. Notice the jacaranda, the matatu graffiti, the life of the city that only exists at human speed.

The joke was never walking. The joke is a city that still treats walking like a mistake.

Walking’s Prevalence vs. Its Perception

Despite its stigma among elites, walking remains the most common mode of urban travel in Nairobi:

• An estimated 40% of daily trips are made on foot, with another ~41% taken in public transport; only about 13% via private vehicles .

• Other studies place walking at 45% of trips in Nairobi or as high as 47%, equating to ~2.27 million foot trips per day .

• A recent modal-split survey gave 39% walking, 46% public transit, and 15% private or ride-hailing.

Across wider urban Kenya, walking and matatu commuting together account for about 89% of adult commutes . In comparative studies, walking made up ~42% of trips in Nairobi and 61% in Kisumu.

This empirical evidence underscored: walking is by far the norm in Nairobi, even if it’s socially devalued.

Infrastructure, Policy & Risk

Despite its prevalence, pedestrian needs are chronically underserved:

• Nairobi has committed to allocating 20% of road construction budgets to non‑motorized transport (NMT) and mandates sidewalks in new road designs—but implementation remains weak  source: WIRED.

• A recent governance study in Kenya noted that decision-making around walking infrastructure still faces numerous institutional and political barriers  source: ResearchGate.

The consequences are clear: pedestrian fatalities account for ~65% of traffic deaths in Nairobi, and many roads lack sidewalks or safe crossings at all source; WIRED.

Tweets Reflecting Cultural Stigma

The tweets by @sifa_bavina and @CiruMuriuki tap into a broader mindset: walking, even to save money is seen as petty or desperate. Such social commentary simplifies walking to an expression of failure or lack.

Yet given that 40–47% of Nairobi commuters walk daily, these perceptions dismiss the reality that walking is not a lifestyle choice but often a necessity. Worse, it positions walking as a source of shame rather than resilience.

The Hidden Benefits They Overlook

Walking offers:

• Affordability: essential for low-income workers, students, informal traders, and many others.

• Health benefits: active daily travel improves physical well-being.

• Environmental gains: low-carbon mobility, vital in rapidly growing urban areas.

• Urban vitality: pedestrian activity enhances street life and local commerce.

These are ignored by narratives that celebrate car ownership and deride walking.

Why the Attitude Matters

When walking is mocked:

• Pedestrians are less likely to be prioritized in transport and city planning.

• Safety becomes optional; victims of crashes are often blamed as “jaywalkers.”

• Public outrage over pedestrian deaths remains muted.

Yet the numbers tell a different truth: walking is how the majority moves yet it remains politically invisible.

Reframing Mobility Narratives

To shift perceptions, we must:

• Highlight tweets and replies that defend walking—as @R307529 reminds us, walking offers health and reclaiming time. “Time & staying healthy, not money.” — @R307529

• Elevate stories of real walkers, not as pitiable subjects but as citizens with dignity.

• Demand infrastructure funding that meets reality: safe, contiguous, well-lit sidewalks; capacity for foot traffic.

• Challenge status symbolism: driving a car shouldn’t be the benchmark of urban success.

Conclusion: Reclaim the Sidewalk

The viral tweets reflect just one corner of a broader cultural bias but their resonance shows how walking is socially side-lined. Yet from streets near Kibera to the corridors of Upper Hill, millions walk every day out of necessity, resilience, and practicality.

Walking is not a con. It’s not shameful. It is central to Nairobi’s urban life and deserves recognition, respect, and investment.

It’s time for Nairobi, and Kenya, to reclaim the sidewalk: physically, culturally, and politically.