Jeremia Njeru
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Geography / Kenya

I was born and raised in rural Kenya, where life mainly revolved around subsistence activities. When not in school, or playing with other boys, I would either be tending to my family cattle or working on my family farming fields. My first experience with city life occurred while attending the University of Nairobi, which is located in the City of Nairobi (the Kenyan Capital), and from where I graduated in 1999 with a B.Sc (geography). The city's magnificent skyscrapers, salubrious suburbs, forested parklands and arteries of well-landscaped boulevards fascinated me. On the other hand, the presence of mountains of garbage, vast tin-roof shacks, and serious storm water flooding during rainy seasons, among other things, in some Nairobi locations and not others got me to wonder how cities work. From the onset, this varied experience with Nairobi life gave birth to my ongoing academic and research interests in understanding how urban environmental problems are produced (in their political, economic, social, and spatial contexts), and their possible sustainable solutions. In line with these interests, I studied the problem of plastic bag waste in Nairobi for my M.A in Geography, which I obtained from Miami University, Ohio in 2002.

Currently, I am pursuing a doctorate degree in geography at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, WI. In keeping with the above line of research/interest, my PhD. dissertation work addresses the issue of urban deforestation in Kenya, with special focus on Nairobi, where, recently, greenspace has been disappearing at an alarming rate. This research seeks to understand, broadly, the linkage between the present urban deforestation and recent political and economical reforms. Besides my work at school I try spend time running, traveling, fishing, and socializing.