The University of Nairobi (UoN) is facing questions over the modernisation of its urban planning training after a World Bank report cited findings that its master's curriculum had undergone only minor changes since the programme was introduced in 1971.
The observation, drawn from a 2015 UN-Habitat review of university urban planning curricula in Kenya, raises concerns about whether professional training is keeping pace with the increasingly complex demands of urbanisation.
The findings are highlighted in a World Bank report titled *Managing, Financing, and Governing Sub-Saharan Africa's Rapid Urbanisation*, which examines the availability and quality of professionals needed to plan and manage the continent's expanding cities.
According to the report, the earlier UN-Habitat review found that UoN had made only minor adjustments to its master's curriculum in urban planning since the programme's establishment.
The observation does not establish whether the university has undertaken further curriculum reviews since 2015.
Nevertheless, it raises broader questions about the responsiveness of university education to emerging challenges, including population growth, housing shortages, inadequate infrastructure, environmental degradation and the expansion of informal settlements.
Since 1971, Kenya has experienced significant changes in population distribution, rural-to-urban migration, metropolitan development and governance following the introduction of devolution.
Urban planning professionals are also increasingly expected to address climate change, transport systems, affordable housing, sustainable land use and technological developments.
World Bank warns against poor-quality training
The World Bank cautions that increasing the number of urban planners, architects and engineers will not automatically resolve Africa's urban development challenges unless the quality of professional training improves.
"Any surge in the quantity of urban professionals needs to be matched by a quality surge," the report states.
It warns that expanding the number of professionals without strengthening their competencies could produce limited benefits or even undermine efforts to improve urban development.
The findings place universities and professional training institutions at the centre of Africa's urban transformation agenda.
The challenge is not simply to produce more graduates but to ensure they possess the practical knowledge and technical skills required to address the needs of rapidly expanding cities.
Modern urban planning increasingly requires expertise in geographical information systems, digital mapping, land administration, transport modelling, environmental sustainability, infrastructure financing, housing policy and disaster preparedness.
The report also highlights a significant shortage of professionals responsible for planning, designing and managing cities across Sub-Saharan Africa.
Using 2019 data, it compares the number of engineers, architects and urban planners per 1,000 people in Sub-Saharan Africa with figures from the United Kingdom.
Sub-Saharan Africa had approximately 0.22 engineers per 1,000 people, compared with 0.63 in the United Kingdom.
For architects, the figures stood at 0.033 per 1,000 people in Sub-Saharan Africa against 0.62 in the UK.
The disparity was particularly pronounced among urban planners, with Sub-Saharan Africa recording approximately 0.01 planners per 1,000 people compared with 0.33 in the United Kingdom.
These figures point to limited professional capacity in many African countries to anticipate urban expansion, prepare development plans and coordinate infrastructure investments.
However, the World Bank stresses that increasing graduate numbers without improving professional competencies would not adequately address the problem.
Urban plans fail to anticipate population growth
The report also highlights weaknesses in urban development planning across the continent.
It cites a 2005 review by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), which examined 130 urban plans from 47 Sub-Saharan African countries.
The review found that more than half of the plans either failed to prepare for urban growth or inaccurately predicted how cities would expand.
Such weaknesses have serious consequences for governments and urban residents.
When population growth is not properly anticipated, cities face increasing pressure on housing, roads, water supply, sanitation, electricity, public transport and other essential services.
Poorly planned expansion can also accelerate the growth of informal settlements, congestion, environmental degradation and uncoordinated land development.
The World Bank consequently emphasises the need to improve both the availability and quality of professionals involved in urban development.
The report also examines Kenya's experience with devolution following the promulgation of the 2010 Constitution.
The establishment of 47 county governments transferred significant responsibilities for planning, infrastructure development and service delivery to county administrations.
County governments assumed responsibility for services including county roads, solid waste management and aspects of urban infrastructure development.
While devolution created opportunities to improve local service delivery, its implementation has faced challenges involving technical capacity, revenue collection, financial management and coordination between different levels of government.
The report also raises questions about urban governance structures established under the Urban Areas and Cities Act, 2011.
Although devolution strengthened accountability through elected county governments, the introduction of appointed urban boards changed the arrangements for direct representation in the management of urban services.
What findings mean for university education
The World Bank's observation about UoN's urban planning curriculum extends beyond one academic programme.
It raises wider questions about curriculum review, university-industry partnerships, professional accreditation and the ability of higher education institutions to respond to changing national development priorities.
Kenya continues to pursue major development programmes involving affordable housing, infrastructure expansion, urban renewal, transport networks and metropolitan growth.
These investments require professionals equipped with contemporary technical knowledge and the ability to work across disciplines.
Universities therefore face growing pressure to strengthen practical training, embrace technological innovation and regularly review academic programmes in consultation with employers, professional bodies and government agencies.
The findings also provide an opportunity for institutions offering planning-related courses to examine whether their programmes adequately incorporate emerging technologies and respond to the realities of the modern economy.
For Kenya, the challenge is particularly significant as county governments assume greater responsibility for urban development while demand for affordable housing, infrastructure and sustainable settlements continues to grow.
The central message is that Africa cannot successfully manage rapid urbanisation by increasing university enrolment and graduate production alone.
It must also produce professionals whose training reflects the changing cities they will be expected to plan, govern and transform.
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