Founder Biliki Foundation, Abdirashid Biliki Hassan, has raised concerns over rapid, unplanned urban growth in Nairobi’s South C, warning that strained infrastructure and rising population threaten living conditions.
Through the Biliki Foundation, he is championing youth empowerment, environmental protection, and community-driven solutions to address governance gaps and restore sustainable development in the area.
Speaking on Monday during a Radio Generation interview, Hassan said his organisation, the Biliki Foundation, was established to respond to social and environmental challenges affecting the area.
“Biliki Foundation is a community-led foundation mostly focused on social empowerment for the youth, community cleanups and social economic problems that are happening in South C,” he said.
The foundation, which has been operating for about two to three years, carries out activities including tree planting, school support programmes and neighbourhood clean-ups.
“We’ve engaged schools, giving out geometrical sets and morale building,” he explained, noting that the group works mainly with public schools where students face financial challenges.
Hassan, who has lived in South C for more than three decades, said the initiative was born out of concern over the area’s changing character.
“I think I’ve lived in South C for 32 years and I have seen South C change, not for the better, for the worse now,” he said.
He attributed this shift largely to rapid urbanisation that has not been matched by proper planning or infrastructure development.
“High-rise buildings were to come because population is growing, but the issue is how those developments are managed,” he said.
According to Hassan, while zoning plans exist, implementation has lagged behind the pace of construction.
“The county already knew this area would come up but there is infrastructure needed for that,” he said.
He described how plots that previously housed a handful of residents are now accommodating dozens of families.
“This place used to handle seven people; now it is handling 400,” he said, referring to multi-storey developments.
Hassan estimated that thousands of new residents have moved into the area in recent years, significantly increasing pressure on essential services.
“We have more than 60 of those developments that shows you we have 3000 plus new residents,” he said.
He warned that this population surge is affecting sanitation, sewage systems and waste management capacity.
“It’s doing something to the sewage, to the sanitation; there has been no discussion about infrastructure being revamped,” he said.
Traffic congestion has also worsened, with existing road networks struggling to cope.
“There are feeder roads, but it wasn’t planned well on the main infrastructure that would hold,” he said.
Hassan emphasised that he does not oppose development itself, but rather the lack of coordinated planning.
“I don’t have a problem with developments coming up, but the planning part is where the issue comes from,” he said.
Beyond infrastructure concerns, he also highlighted social challenges, particularly among young people.
“There’s a very big youth percentage in South C. If it’s not planned well, it’s going to be a very big issue,” he said.
He noted a shift from structured youth engagement programmes to what he described as politically driven handouts.
“You see a lot of youth being given handouts; it wasn’t like that before,” he said.
In response, the Biliki Foundation is working to provide alternatives through community initiatives and partnerships.
“We might partner with other like-minded foundations to come up with programmes that will be more engaging,” he said.
Hassan said the organisation relies on local support rather than external funding, positioning itself as a grassroots movement.
“It’s people who still love South C, they’ve supported us during all those initiatives,” he said.
He expressed hope that authorities will recognise such efforts and take action to address broader governance gaps.
“All we need is planned developments, good drainage, people to take care of the environment,” he said.
As Nairobi continues to expand, Hassan’s concerns reflect a wider debate about balancing urban growth with sustainable planning, and whether community-led initiatives can fill the gaps left by formal governance systems.
