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Tuesday, October 05, 2004
NEWS
New plan to transform Kibera slums
Story
by LUCAS BARASA
Thousands of Kibera slum dwellers now have a reason to smile – they will
soon leave their shanties and be settled in ultra-modern two bedroom
houses.
In
the first year of the 15-year project, 770 families will move into new
blocks of flats which will not only have running water, indoor shower
and toilet facilities but also electricity.
The
multi-billion shilling project was inaugurated by President Kibaki in
Nairobi, yesterday, during celebrations to mark the World Habitat Day.
"We
have an opportunity to transform this place from an eyesore and a shame
into a model project that can be duplicated in other parts of the
country and the world," the President told a mammoth crowd which turned
up to witness the launch. The first phase of the project is expected to
cost Sh650 million.
A
ground-breaking ceremony for the ambitious project is expected to be
held today and construction will begin immediately. However, the first
beneficiaries of the intended slum upgrading project will continue
living in the slum for a year as they wait for the first 14 blocks of
flats to be completed.
The
new buildings are expected to bring to an end the existence of Kibera
slums – the largest in East and Central Africa, with a population of
close to half-a-million people.
Yesterday, President Kibaki, who was the chief guest during the global
observance of the World Habitat Day, said all slums countrywide would
also be improved. The UN chose Kenya as the venue for this year's World
Habitat Day which is held on the first Monday of every October.
Kibera was chosen as the pilot project because of its huge size and
large population. The slum covers 235 hectares.
Under the proposed project, residents will be able to access water,
sanitation, education, health and security services besides securing
employment and engaging in income generating activities.
And
to ensure there will be no conflict, President Kibaki said the
Government would regularise ownership tenure.
A
committee of area residents has been formed to work with the Government
and Nairobi city council to implement the project.
In
the last June Budget, the Government set aside Sh20 million for the
Kibera project this year.
Supplementary funding will be provided to build eight extra blocks of
flats estimated to cost Sh400 million, the President said. He appealed
to well-wishers for more money to help the country meet its Millennium
Development Goals of improving the livelihood of those living in slums.
He
said Kenya faced a housing shortage of 150,000 units annually, up from
60,000 in the 1980s.
Answering Roads and Public Works minister Raila Odinga, the President
said area residents would be given priority in employment when building
of the houses gets underway. He also assured the slum dwellers that the
new houses would be affordable.
Mr.
Odinga discounted the residents' fears that they would be moved to Athi
River to make way for the project. "You will remain here (Kibera)," he
told them.
Lands and Housing minister Amos Kimunya said the Government planned to
built 150,000 housing units in urban areas and 300,000 in rural areas
annually. Forty five thousands of these units will be in slums.
The
UN-Habitat executive director, Dr Anna Tibaijuka, who read UN
secretary-general Koffi Annan's speech, said sustainable development
could only be achieved if rural areas were considered.
Nairobi
mayor Dick Wathika said one million of Nairobi's 2.5 million residents
live in slums.
Dr
Tibaijuka also assured Kibera residents that her organisation had no
intention of evicting and appealed for their patience and cooperation
for the success of the project.
A
number of people including Mozambique President Joakim Chissano who was
represented by Cabinet minister John William were rewarded for making
significant impact on lives of disadvantaged people without access to
basic needs like clean water and proper sanitation.
Reprinted from
The Daily Nation, Tuesday, October 05,
2004 |
