Kenya's Kibera Slum Gets a Revamp

Kibera, the Kenyan slum infamous for its overcrowding, poverty and lack of sanitation, is getting a major revamp with some modern facilities

Founded more than 100 years ago, it is said to be home to around a fifth of Nairobi's population and yet has not featured in any government plans - until recently.

Fifteen densely populated villages make up this slum. We're in Mashimoni, home to mud huts and tin shacks.

The only formal structure here is a recently built toilet.

There are now tarred roads, mobile clinics and police stations made from shipping containers, working street lights and even free Wifi throughout the slum.

One of the biggest issues has always been housing.

The residents do not have title deeds, so technically the land still belongs to the government.

That does not stop descendents of the original residents, largely from the Nubian community, from sub-letting their tin shacks to more recent arrivals.

Now, however, the government is building permanent houses, with proper sanitation.

Anne Waiguru, the minister of planning and devolution, told the BBC: "We want these new houses to become the minimum standard for the people of Kibera."

Around 50% of those Kibera residents who have jobs are employed in nearby Nairobi, usually as cheap unskilled labour.

However, unemployment is still high, especially among the youth.

But Boniface Ouma has lived in Kibera for 37 years and says the changes are difficult to miss.

Many sit idle the whole day, often getting themselves into trouble with the police and hooked on drugs and alcohol.

As part of the revamp, some young residents are being encouraged to get into business.

The idea is that they will sell locally produced staple foods such as kale, maize and fish.

But Mr Ouma is worried about the future of such projects.

"We need long-term solutions and some of the projects like the vegetable projects and the fish ponds are not really going to be sustainable in the long run."

Others are being engaged in construction work through the National Youth Service.

Since the introduction of the slum renewal project some five months ago, more than 3,500 people have been employed.

Because all the work is done by residents, the government hopes that once they leave, the community will be able to continue building more homes.

It may take up to two years to cover all of Kibera.

As for the new roads, street vendor Millicent Atieno says it has been something of a double-edged sword.

"This means I can get to the market a lot easier and the transport drops me just in front of my stall," she says.

But because some shacks were removed to make space for development, she now has fewer customers living nearby.

Source: BBC

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• Social Dimensions
• Sanitation & Hygiene
• Governance & Planning