RIGHTS-KENYA: Slum Upgrade a Tale of ‘Later Rather Than Sooner’

By IPS Correspondents Reprint | | Print |

Joyce Mulama

NAIROBI, Apr 30 2004 (IPS) - The numbers say it all as far as Kenya’s informal settlements are concerned. According to a regional non-governmental organisation, Shelter Forum, over a million people are spread amongst 199 settlements that urgently need upgrading.

In January 2003, government joined forces with the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN Habitat) to create the Kenya Slum Upgrading Programme (KENSUP). But, more than a year later slum dwellers say implementation of the project has been painfully slow.

"More should have been achieved by now…This could be lip service by those concerned – but we will wait and see," observes Mwangi Waweru, a resident of Korogocho slum on the outskirts of Nairobi.

It’s a charge which planning officials refute.

"It is not that we are moving slowly…We are still in the planning phase which will take 18 months up to June 2004. We have notified Kenyans about this even through the press," David Kithakye, Senior Human Settlements Officer at UN Habitat, told IPS in a telephone interview.

Patrick Bucha, Assistant Director of Housing at the Ministry of Roads, Public Works and Housing, also describes the project as a "long-term one".

"What we have at this point are preliminary analyses, and we cannot go by them. But by June, we should be knowing the exact cost and how the project will be carried out," he said.

As the upgrading process inches forward, there is also lingering rancour over government’s decision three months ago to clear away structures in the Kibera shanty town that had been erected illegally next to railway and power lines.

Some also believe that authorities have yet to realise the importance of consulting people in informal settlements when making decisions that affect them.

"It is like we are nothing before the government. For it to decide to destroy our homes and properties without giving us warnings and without consulting us is totally unfair," Dalmas Owino, Secretary of the Kibera Rent and Housing Forum, said in an interview in Nairobi.

As IPS reported in March, several mansions which were in contravention of the building code were also torn down. Some of these homes were apparently owned by members of the former government, led by Daniel arap Moi.

"If we were part and parcel of these decisions, we would explore more friendly alternatives," adds Owino. Kibera, located outside the Kenyan capital, houses hundreds of thousands of people – and is often referred to as Africa’s largest slum. It will be the first area to receive attention when the upgrade moves into top gear.

Activists claim that the demolition exercise caused about 9,600 people to become homeless. Although the exercise took place in February, a number of these residents are still waiting to be resettled.

"Some are squatting in nearby bushes while others have sought refuge in a Catholic church around the area," observed Olita Ogonjo of Maji na Ufanisi (‘Water for Development’), a Nairobi-based organisation that lobbies for affordable, decent housing.

Bucha insists that efforts have been made to consult people who live in Kibera: "In each of our moves, we have tried to consider feelings of the residents and they know it. It is just that they want to be a bit political."

"Community participation and involvement is highly valued in this project," he adds.

In a further development, slum residents have also queried the effectiveness of non-governmental organisations that claim to represent their interests.

"We are discrediting the idea that non-governmental bodies can represent interests of residents of informal settlements when discussing issues involving improving slum conditions. We have our own opinions and we must be heard because we are the ones who know where the shoe pinches," says Owino.

This is a charge that some find difficult to stomach.

"While they complain of being marginalized and demanding to be left to fly alone, I wonder whether they have the capacity, especially the legal one, to represent themselves," says Michael Arunga, Advocacy Officer at Shelter Forum.

In February, a court case was filed by Kibera residents against the Kenya Railways Corporation, seeking to halt the demolition of houses that were erected along railway lines. The residents were represented by Kituo Cha Sheria (‘Legal Advice Centre’), a member organisation of Shelter Forum.

Earlier this week (Apr. 28), Kenya Railways withdrew from the court battle. "For this reason, I think Shelter Forum has added value to the struggles of inhabitants of Kibera," Arunga noted.