Peasants to Paupers

‘Detailed in its ethnography, this engaging and timely book lifts the lid on how available land and economic opportunities have failed to keep pace with population growth in Kenya, leading to youth unemployment, alcoholism and dislocated masculinity. It is an essential resource for Africanist scholars and policy makers.’ Fred N. Ikanda, Maseno University‘Land ownership, access and utilization are socioeconomic and political activities in Kenya that generate much emotion and anxiety. In Peasants and Paupers, Peter Lockwood, manages to dissect such a complex matter in an accessible and relatable way that leaves the reader both knowledgeable and empathetic.’ Mwenda Ntarangwi, USIU-Africa

Peter Lockwood is a Hallsworth Research Fellow in Political Economy at the University of Manchester. His current research studies land speculation, finance and fraud on Nairobi’s urban frontier. He is the co-curator of Nairobi Becoming (2024), a multi-authored ethnographic portrait of the city. He has been published in Current Anthropology, Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute, and Africa.