Social Safeguards in Infrastructure Development

Abstract

Infrastructure development is vital for economic growth and improving livelihoods in Kenya. However, the social impacts of these projects, such as displacement, loss of livelihoods, and human rights concerns, often receive inadequate attention. Evidence from the Utafiti Sera House on Urban Governance and City Transformation reveals critical gaps between national legislation and the social safeguard standards required by international donors like the World Bank and African Development Bank (AfDB). Current infrastructure planning primarily emphasizes economic and property considerations, often neglecting the human and social dimensions. Legal frameworks in Kenya tend to prioritize property law over human rights, limiting professionals like planners and engineers from addressing social impacts unless international financiers mandate it. Feasibility studies similarly prioritize financial and land acquisition aspects, sidelining displacement, loss of livelihoods, and community disruption.