This city briefing presents findings from research on access to shelter and services in Nairobi, Kenya focusing specifically on the participatory planning process triggered by the designation of the Mukuru informal settlement as a Special Planning Area by the Nairobi County Government. It is part of a three-city study in East Africa also covering Mogadishu, Somalia and Hawassa, Ethiopia. Guided by political economy analysis, the two-year research project investigated why and how city dwellers make certain shelter choices, and generated recommendations to improve access to adequate shelter and basic services for the most vulnerable urban residents.