A reaction by Muthoni Kabara

Muthoni Kabara reacts in a direct address to Korir, the Chief Editor, APN in connection with an earlier article titled: https://africanpress.wordpress.com/2007/01/31/kibera-slums-densely-populated-is-in-raila-odingas-langata-constituency/

To Korir,

Making Kibera a better place through upgrading the slums into more habitable housing units does not squarely lie upon Raila who is the current local Member of Parliament (MP). There are so many slum dwellings in Kenya including Othaya (President Kibaki’s constituency). Ugrading Kibera is the responsibility of the Kenyan Government in conjuction with the right authorities like the United Nations city agency UN-Habitat. President Kibaki has now focused upon the Kibera upgrading project and around 600 housing units will soon be put in place. Meanwhile read the following to understand the process of upgrading Kibera cited from http://www.globalexchange.org/countries/africa/kenya/kibera

One man believes it can be done.

He is Amos Kimunya, Kenya’s lands minister. Away from the stench and the despair of Kibera, he spoke of the Kenya government’s commitment to providing better housing for Kibera residents.

“We have committed 500m shillings ($6.6m) in our current budget to sort out the lives of people living in Kibera.”

“We want to do more than just converting their cardboard boxes into concrete boxes – what we want to do is a comprehensive programme of upgrading the slum beyond just putting up new houses.

“It’s about improving the lives of the people, job opportunities, HIV/Aids prevention and protection, education facilities, playing grounds – and so it’s a comprehensive upgrading of the slum.”

Easy part:

Mr Kimunya’s optimism is echoed by Anna Tibaijuka, executive director of the United Nations city agency UN-Habitat.

Her organisation is charged with the responsibility of making life better for slum dwellers around the world.

“For the past four years, we have been working with residents of Kibera,” she says at the UN-Habitat headquarters located in, Gigiri, a posh leafy suburb of Nairobi.

“If you really want to benefit the poor, you have to spend time on what we call social organisation, otherwise you might upgrade the slum and people who have better incomes will come and take over.

“Indeed, it takes a long time and very little seems to be happening, but a lot has been happening in terms of preparations.

“Physical construction is actually the easiest part of it.”

By Muthoni Kabara

Published by African Press in Norway, apn, africanpress@chello.no tel +47 932 99 739 or +47 6300 2525