Sustainable placemaking: local guides’ motivations for omitting conflict memories in Kibera’s slum tourism

Tour guides in Kibera, an informal settlement in Nairobi, Kenya, frequently avoid sharing memories of conflict with tourists. Previous studies on post-conflict tourism have mainly interpreted such omissions as trauma-induced “silences”, overlooking how constraints and choices intersect. Drawing on 12 months of ethnographic fieldwork, including participant observation and semi-structured interviews, this study examines guides’ reasons for omitting Kenya’s 2007–2008 post-election violence from tours. Grounded theory coding interpreted through placemaking theory, yielded four interrelated categories: personal trauma; local community; tourists and the tourism market; and a lack of a shared conceptual framework. These omissions are shown to be pragmatic choices that support sustainable placemaking, balancing external expectations with local priorities and agency. The article advocates context‑sensitive approaches that meet community needs rather than imposing universal norms of disclosure. Selective omission can reinforce social stability, enable intercultural encounters and shape Kibera’s evolving identity as a tourist destination – inviting reflection on whose sustainability is prioritised and on how global ideals of “international peace” align with or challenge local survival.