Kibera
Encyclopedia
Kibera is a division of Nairobi Area, Kenya
, and neighbourhood
of the city of Nairobi
, located 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) from the city centre. Kibera is the largest slum
in Nairobi, and the second largest urban
slum in Africa
. The 2009 Kenya Population and Housing Census reports Kibera's population as 170,070, contrary to previous estimates of one or two million people.
The neighbourhood is divided into a number of villages, including Kianda
, Soweto East
, Gatwekera
, Kisumu Ndogo
, Lindi
, Laini Saba
, Siranga
, Makina
and Mashimoni
. Conditions in Kibera are extremely poor, and most of its residents lack access to basic services, including electricity and running water.
Kibera originated as a settlement in the forests outside Nairobi, when Nubian soldiers returning from service with the King's African Rifles
(KAR) were allocated plots there in return for their efforts around 1904. Kibera was situated on the KAR military exercise grounds in close proximity to the KAR headquarters along Thika Road. . The British
colonial government of the time allowed the settlement to grow informally, primarily because of the Nubians' status as former servants of the British crown, which put the colonial regime in their debt. Furthermore the Nubians, being "Detribalized Natives", had no claim on land in "Native Reserves". Over time, other tribes moved into the area to rent land from the Nubian landlords.
After Kenya became independent in 1963, a number of forms of housing were made illegal by the government. The new ruling affected Kibera on the basis of land tenure, rendering it an unauthorized settlement. Despite this, people continued to live there, and by the early 1970s landlord
s were renting out their properties in Kibera to significantly greater numbers of tenants than were permitted by law. The tenants, who are highly impoverished, cannot afford to rent legal housing, finding the rates offered in Kibera to be comparatively affordable. The number of residents in Kibera has increased accordingly despite its unauthorized nature. By 1974, members of the Kikuyu tribe predominated the population of Kibera, and had gained control over administrative positions, which were kept through political patronage.
However a shift in Kenyan demographics has taken place since then. The Luo and Luya tribes from the West of Kenya being the primary areas of internal emigration. By the year 1995, Kibera had become a predominantly Luo slum and Mathare Valley nearby the predominantly Kikuyu slum area. The coincident rise of multi party politics in Kenya has caused the Luo leader and MP for much of Kibera, the parliamentary seat of Langata, Raila Odinga to be known for his ability to bring out a formidable demonstration force instantly. Meanwhile Mathare Valley has become a hotbed of gang warfare. Political tensions in the nation between the ethnic tribes escalated after the re-election of President Kibaki in 2007.
The Nubian community has a Council of Elders who are also the Trustees of its Trust. This Trust now claims all of Kibera. It claims that the extent of their land is over 1100 acres (4.5 km²). It claims that owing to State sanctioned allotments the land area is now reduced to 780 acres (3.2 km²). The Government does not accept their claims but its rehousing program envisions a land extent around 300 acres (1.2 km²) for the claimed Nubian settlement. Neither side has left any room for negotiation from this position.
Presently, Kibera's residents represent all the major Kenyan ethnic backgrounds, with some areas being specifically dominated by peoples of one ethno-linguistic group. Many new residents come from rural areas with chronic underdevelopment and overpopulation issues. The multi-ethnic nature of Kibera's populism combined with the tribalism
that pervades Kenyan politics has led to Kibera hosting a number of small ethnic conflicts throughout its century-long history. The Kenyan government owns all the land upon which Kibera stands, though it continues to not officially acknowledge the settlement; no basic services, schools, clinics, running water or lavatories are publicly provided, and the services that do exist are privately owned.
, roughly 5 kilometers from the city centre. Much of its southern border is bounded by the Nairobi river
and the Nairobi Dam, an artificial lake that provides drinking water to the residents of the city.
Kibera is divided into 13 village
s, including Kianda
, Soweto, Gatwekera, Kisumu Ndogo, Lindi, Laini Saba, Siranga/Undugu, Makina and Mashimoni.
The 2009 Kenya Population and Housing Census reported Kibera's population as 170,070. The Kibera slum was previously thought to be one of the biggest informal urban settlements in the world. Several actors had provided and published over the years growing estimations of the size of its population, most of them stating that it was the largest slum in Africa with the number of people there reaching over 1 million. According to Mike Davis, a well known expert on urban slums, Kibera had a population of about 800,000 people. International Housing Coalition (IHC) talked about more than half a million people. UN-Habitat had released several estimations ranging between 350,000 and 1 million people . These statistics mainly come out of analysis of aerial pictures of the area. IRIN estimated a population density
of 2000 residents per hectare
In 2008 an independent team of researchers began a door-by-door survey named “Map Kibera Project” with the aim to map physical and socio-demographic features of the slum. A trained team of locals, after having developed an ad-hoc surveying methodology, has so far gathered census data of over 15,000 people and completed the mapping of 5000 structures, services (public toilets, schools), and infrastructures (drainage system, water and electricity supply) in the village of Kianda
. Looking upon Kianda's collected data, the population of the whole Kibera slum can be estimated between 235,000 and 270,000 people.
The Uganda Railway
Line passes through the centre of the neighbourhood, providing passengers aboard the train a firsthand view of the slum. Kibera has a railway station, but most residents use buses and matatu
s to reach the city centre; carjacking
, irresponsible driving, and poor traffic law enforcement are chronic issues.
Kibera is heavily polluted by human refuse, garbage, soot, dust, and other wastes. The slum is contaminated with human and animal feces, due to the open sewage
system and the frequent use of "flying toilet
s". The lack of sanitation combined with poor nutrition among residents accounts for many illnesses and diseases.
There is a community radio station, Pamoja FM.
, owned by the Presbyterian Church of East Africa
, Raila Educational centre, and Olympic secondary School among others. There is also a vocational training centre, PCEA Emmanuel Technical Training Centre, offering self-employment skills to the residents.
' agency for human settlements, is headquartered close by. Ban Ki-moon
visited the settlement within a month of his selection as UN secretary-general.
Kibera, as one of the most pronounced slums within Kenya, is undergoing an intensive slum upgrading
process. The government, UN-HABITAT and a contingent of NGOs, notably Maji na Ufanisi, are making inroads into the settlements in an attempt to facelift the housing and sanitary conditions.
There are three significant complicating factors to construction or upgrade within Kibera. The first is the rate of petty and serious crime. Building materials cannot be left unattended for long at any time because there is a very high chance of them being stolen. It is not uncommon for owners of storm-damaged dwellings to have to camp on top of the remnants of their homes until repairs can be made, to protect the raw materials from would-be thieves.
The second is the lack of building foundations. The ground in much of Kibera is literally composed of refuse and rubbish. Dwellings are often constructed atop this unstable ground, and therefore many structures collapse whenever the slum experiences flooding, which it does regularly. This means that even well-constructed buildings are often damaged by the collapse of nearby poorly constructed ones.
The third complicating factor is the unyielding topography
and cramped sprawl of the area. Few houses have vehicle access, and many are at the bottoms of steep inclines (which heightens the flooding risk). This means that any construction efforts are made more difficult and costly by the fact that all materials must be brought in by hand.
The clearance of Kibera is expected to take between two and five years to complete. The entire project is planned to take nine years and will rehouse all the slum residents in the city. The project has the backing of the United Nations
and Prime Minister Raila Odinga
, who is a local MP, and is expected to cost $1.2 billion. The new communities are planned to include schools, markets, playgrounds and other facilities. The first batch of around 1,500 people to leave the slum were taken away by truck on 16 September 2009 from 6:30 am local time and were rehoused in 300 newly constructed apartments with a monthly rent of around $10.
The project start was postponed several times when Prime Minister Odinga was unavailable to oversee the first day. He was joined on the first day by Housing Minister Soita Shitanda
and his assistant Margaret Wanjiru
, with all three helping residents to load their belongings onto the trucks. Also present were several dozen armed police officers to oversee the arrangements and to deter any resistance.
The process has been legally challenged by more than 80 people, and the Kenyan High Court has stated that the government cannot begin demolition works until the case is heard in October but will be able to demolish the homes of people who leave voluntarily before then. The 80 plaintiff
s are a mixture of middle-class landlords and Kibera residents, and they claim that the land in Kibera is theirs and hence the government has no right to demolish the shacks. The Nubian community, who have lived on the land for nearly 100 years, are also disappointed with the scheme, and one elder has said that the present housing should be improved instead.
The project has also come under fire from urban planners who say that it risks repeating the mistakes of previous schemes, when poor families either shared two-room apartments with one or two other families to pay the rent, or sublet them to middle-class families and moved back into the slums. Workers earning a minimum wage
in Kenya make less than US$2 per day. There is also controversy over the timing of the project, with the first phase, rehousing 7,500 people, being delayed by five years and one government official stating that if the project continues at the current pace it will take 1,178 years to complete.
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
, and neighbourhood
Neighbourhood
A neighbourhood or neighborhood is a geographically localised community within a larger city, town or suburb. Neighbourhoods are often social communities with considerable face-to-face interaction among members. "Researchers have not agreed on an exact definition...
of the city of Nairobi
Nairobi
Nairobi is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The city and its surrounding area also forms the Nairobi County. The name "Nairobi" comes from the Maasai phrase Enkare Nyirobi, which translates to "the place of cool waters". However, it is popularly known as the "Green City in the Sun" and is...
, located 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) from the city centre. Kibera is the largest slum
Slum
A slum, as defined by United Nations agency UN-HABITAT, is a run-down area of a city characterized by substandard housing and squalor and lacking in tenure security. According to the United Nations, the percentage of urban dwellers living in slums decreased from 47 percent to 37 percent in the...
in Nairobi, and the second largest urban
Urban area
An urban area is characterized by higher population density and vast human features in comparison to areas surrounding it. Urban areas may be cities, towns or conurbations, but the term is not commonly extended to rural settlements such as villages and hamlets.Urban areas are created and further...
slum in Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
. The 2009 Kenya Population and Housing Census reports Kibera's population as 170,070, contrary to previous estimates of one or two million people.
The neighbourhood is divided into a number of villages, including Kianda
Kianda
In Angolan mythology, Kianda is a goddess of the sea. She was traditionally worshipped by throwing offerings such as food and clothing into the sea.-References:*...
, Soweto East
Soweto East
Soweto East is a part of Kibera slum in Nairobi. Its population has been estimated at 70,000 persons. Slum residents have to pay more than others for water....
, Gatwekera
Gatwekera
Gatwekera is a part of Kibera slum in Nairobi. Its population likely exceeds 70,000. Water & Sanitation for the Urban Poor is active there. Many of its residents are Luo. Médecins Sans Frontières used to run a health centre there. Other parts of Kibera include Laini Saba, Lindi, Makina, Kianda,...
, Kisumu Ndogo
Kisumu Ndogo
Kisumu Ndogo is a part of Kibera slum in Nairobi. Allegedly it belongs to Korogocho slum, which can be divided into Korogocho A, Korogocho B, Kisumu Ndogo, Gitathuru, Highridge, Grogon A, Grogon B and Nyayo. A Winners' Chapel is active in Kisumu Ndogo. The Kenya Water for Health Organisation is...
, Lindi
Lindi, Nairobi
Lindi is a suburb of Nairobi, the capital of Kenya. It belongs to the major slum of Kibera. As for Laini Saba, another village within Kibera, its population is estimated at 100,000. Soweto East is another village belonging to Kibera. The price of water there clearly is above Nairobi average. A...
, Laini Saba
Laini Saba
Laini Saba is a suburb of Nairobi, the capital of Kenya. It belongs to the major slum of Kibera. As for Lindi, another village within Kibera, its population is estimated at 100,000. Soweto East is another village belonging to Kibera...
, Siranga
Siranga
Siranga is a part of Kibera slum in Nairobi. Its population is estimated at 150,000 residents. The Nairobi Christian Outreach Centre is in Siranga. Other parts of Kibera include Laini Saba, Lindi, Makina, Kianda, Gatwekera, Soweto East, Kisumu Ndogo, Mugumoini, Makongeni, Kichinjio and Mashimoni....
, Makina
Makina
Mákina, originated in Spain, similar in sound to UK Hardcore, but with certain elements of Bouncy Techno and Trance music among other differences...
and Mashimoni
Mashimoni
Mashimoni is a part of Kibera slum in Nairobi. Mashimoni Primary School, Mashimoni Good Samaritan School for the Orphans and Mashimoni Squatters Schools exist. Many of its residents are Luhyas and Kambas. It is part of Langata Constituency. Other parts of Kibera include Laini Saba, Lindi,...
. Conditions in Kibera are extremely poor, and most of its residents lack access to basic services, including electricity and running water.
History
King's African Rifles
The King's African Rifles was a multi-battalion British colonial regiment raised from the various British possessions in East Africa from 1902 until independence in the 1960s. It performed both military and internal security functions within the East African colonies as well as external service as...
(KAR) were allocated plots there in return for their efforts around 1904. Kibera was situated on the KAR military exercise grounds in close proximity to the KAR headquarters along Thika Road. . The British
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
colonial government of the time allowed the settlement to grow informally, primarily because of the Nubians' status as former servants of the British crown, which put the colonial regime in their debt. Furthermore the Nubians, being "Detribalized Natives", had no claim on land in "Native Reserves". Over time, other tribes moved into the area to rent land from the Nubian landlords.
After Kenya became independent in 1963, a number of forms of housing were made illegal by the government. The new ruling affected Kibera on the basis of land tenure, rendering it an unauthorized settlement. Despite this, people continued to live there, and by the early 1970s landlord
Landlord
A landlord is the owner of a house, apartment, condominium, or real estate which is rented or leased to an individual or business, who is called a tenant . When a juristic person is in this position, the term landlord is used. Other terms include lessor and owner...
s were renting out their properties in Kibera to significantly greater numbers of tenants than were permitted by law. The tenants, who are highly impoverished, cannot afford to rent legal housing, finding the rates offered in Kibera to be comparatively affordable. The number of residents in Kibera has increased accordingly despite its unauthorized nature. By 1974, members of the Kikuyu tribe predominated the population of Kibera, and had gained control over administrative positions, which were kept through political patronage.
However a shift in Kenyan demographics has taken place since then. The Luo and Luya tribes from the West of Kenya being the primary areas of internal emigration. By the year 1995, Kibera had become a predominantly Luo slum and Mathare Valley nearby the predominantly Kikuyu slum area. The coincident rise of multi party politics in Kenya has caused the Luo leader and MP for much of Kibera, the parliamentary seat of Langata, Raila Odinga to be known for his ability to bring out a formidable demonstration force instantly. Meanwhile Mathare Valley has become a hotbed of gang warfare. Political tensions in the nation between the ethnic tribes escalated after the re-election of President Kibaki in 2007.
The Nubian community has a Council of Elders who are also the Trustees of its Trust. This Trust now claims all of Kibera. It claims that the extent of their land is over 1100 acres (4.5 km²). It claims that owing to State sanctioned allotments the land area is now reduced to 780 acres (3.2 km²). The Government does not accept their claims but its rehousing program envisions a land extent around 300 acres (1.2 km²) for the claimed Nubian settlement. Neither side has left any room for negotiation from this position.
Presently, Kibera's residents represent all the major Kenyan ethnic backgrounds, with some areas being specifically dominated by peoples of one ethno-linguistic group. Many new residents come from rural areas with chronic underdevelopment and overpopulation issues. The multi-ethnic nature of Kibera's populism combined with the tribalism
Tribalism
The social structure of a tribe can vary greatly from case to case, but, due to the small size of tribes, it is always a relatively simple role structure, with few significant social distinctions between individuals....
that pervades Kenyan politics has led to Kibera hosting a number of small ethnic conflicts throughout its century-long history. The Kenyan government owns all the land upon which Kibera stands, though it continues to not officially acknowledge the settlement; no basic services, schools, clinics, running water or lavatories are publicly provided, and the services that do exist are privately owned.
Geography, population and culture
Kibera is located in southwest NairobiNairobi
Nairobi is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The city and its surrounding area also forms the Nairobi County. The name "Nairobi" comes from the Maasai phrase Enkare Nyirobi, which translates to "the place of cool waters". However, it is popularly known as the "Green City in the Sun" and is...
, roughly 5 kilometers from the city centre. Much of its southern border is bounded by the Nairobi river
Nairobi River
Nairobi River is a river flowing through the Kenyan capital Nairobi. It is the main river of the Nairobi river basin, a complex of several parallel streams flowing eastwards. All of the Nairobi basin rivers join east of Nairobi and meet the Athi River, eventually flowing to the Indian ocean. These...
and the Nairobi Dam, an artificial lake that provides drinking water to the residents of the city.
Kibera is divided into 13 village
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
s, including Kianda
Kianda
In Angolan mythology, Kianda is a goddess of the sea. She was traditionally worshipped by throwing offerings such as food and clothing into the sea.-References:*...
, Soweto, Gatwekera, Kisumu Ndogo, Lindi, Laini Saba, Siranga/Undugu, Makina and Mashimoni.
The 2009 Kenya Population and Housing Census reported Kibera's population as 170,070. The Kibera slum was previously thought to be one of the biggest informal urban settlements in the world. Several actors had provided and published over the years growing estimations of the size of its population, most of them stating that it was the largest slum in Africa with the number of people there reaching over 1 million. According to Mike Davis, a well known expert on urban slums, Kibera had a population of about 800,000 people. International Housing Coalition (IHC) talked about more than half a million people. UN-Habitat had released several estimations ranging between 350,000 and 1 million people . These statistics mainly come out of analysis of aerial pictures of the area. IRIN estimated a population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
of 2000 residents per hectare
Hectare
The hectare is a metric unit of area defined as 10,000 square metres , and primarily used in the measurement of land. In 1795, when the metric system was introduced, the are was defined as being 100 square metres and the hectare was thus 100 ares or 1/100 km2...
In 2008 an independent team of researchers began a door-by-door survey named “Map Kibera Project” with the aim to map physical and socio-demographic features of the slum. A trained team of locals, after having developed an ad-hoc surveying methodology, has so far gathered census data of over 15,000 people and completed the mapping of 5000 structures, services (public toilets, schools), and infrastructures (drainage system, water and electricity supply) in the village of Kianda
Kianda
In Angolan mythology, Kianda is a goddess of the sea. She was traditionally worshipped by throwing offerings such as food and clothing into the sea.-References:*...
. Looking upon Kianda's collected data, the population of the whole Kibera slum can be estimated between 235,000 and 270,000 people.
The Uganda Railway
Uganda Railway
The Uganda Railway is a railway system and former railway company linking the interiors of Uganda and Kenya with the Indian Ocean at Mombasa in Kenya.-Origins:...
Line passes through the centre of the neighbourhood, providing passengers aboard the train a firsthand view of the slum. Kibera has a railway station, but most residents use buses and matatu
Matatu
In Kenya and neighboring nations matatu are privately owned minibuses although pick-up trucks were in the past pressed into service as these East African share taxis. Often decorated, many matatu feature portraits of the famous or slogans and sayings, some religious.These minibuses ply set routes,...
s to reach the city centre; carjacking
Carjacking
Carjacking is a form of hijacking, where the crime is of stealing a motor vehicle and so also armed assault when the vehicle is occupied. Historically, such as in the rash of semi-trailer truck hijackings during the 1960s, the general term hijacking was used for that type of vehicle abduction,...
, irresponsible driving, and poor traffic law enforcement are chronic issues.
Kibera is heavily polluted by human refuse, garbage, soot, dust, and other wastes. The slum is contaminated with human and animal feces, due to the open sewage
Sewage
Sewage is water-carried waste, in solution or suspension, that is intended to be removed from a community. Also known as wastewater, it is more than 99% water and is characterized by volume or rate of flow, physical condition, chemical constituents and the bacteriological organisms that it contains...
system and the frequent use of "flying toilet
Flying toilet
A flying toilet is a facetious name for the use of plastic bags for defecation, which are then thrown into ditches, on the roadside, or simply as far away as possible....
s". The lack of sanitation combined with poor nutrition among residents accounts for many illnesses and diseases.
There is a community radio station, Pamoja FM.
Education
Most education centres in Kibera are classified as informal. Some start as babycare centres, which later develop into schools. Most are not regulated by the government. Some of the notable schools are Olympic Primary School, one of the leading government schools in the country, Kibera Primary School (also called Old Kibera), as well as several church-owned and privately owned schools. Notable Secondary schools include PCEA Silanga High SchoolPCEA Silanga High School
PCEA Silanga High School is a Christian-foundation based mixed secondary school in Kibera, Nairobi, Kenya. Established in January 2007 by the Presbyterian Church of East AfricaKibera Parish,under the leadership of the Rev...
, owned by the Presbyterian Church of East Africa
Presbyterian Church of East Africa
Presbyterian Church of East Africa is a Presbyterian denomination headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya. It was started by missionaries from Scotland, most notable of whom was Dr John Arthur. It has its headquarters in Nairobi South C....
, Raila Educational centre, and Olympic secondary School among others. There is also a vocational training centre, PCEA Emmanuel Technical Training Centre, offering self-employment skills to the residents.
Slum upgrading
Kibera is one of the most studied slums in Africa, not only because it sits in the centre of the modern city, but also because UN-HABITAT, the United NationsUnited Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
' agency for human settlements, is headquartered close by. Ban Ki-moon
Ban Ki-moon
Ban Ki-moon is the eighth and current Secretary-General of the United Nations, after succeeding Kofi Annan in 2007. Before going on to be Secretary-General, Ban was a career diplomat in South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and in the United Nations. He entered diplomatic service the year he...
visited the settlement within a month of his selection as UN secretary-general.
Kibera, as one of the most pronounced slums within Kenya, is undergoing an intensive slum upgrading
Slum upgrading
Slum upgrading consists of physical, social, economic, organizational and environmental improvements to slums undertaken cooperatively and locally among citizens, community groups, businesses and local authorities.The main objective of slum upgrading is to alleviate the poor living standards of...
process. The government, UN-HABITAT and a contingent of NGOs, notably Maji na Ufanisi, are making inroads into the settlements in an attempt to facelift the housing and sanitary conditions.
There are three significant complicating factors to construction or upgrade within Kibera. The first is the rate of petty and serious crime. Building materials cannot be left unattended for long at any time because there is a very high chance of them being stolen. It is not uncommon for owners of storm-damaged dwellings to have to camp on top of the remnants of their homes until repairs can be made, to protect the raw materials from would-be thieves.
The second is the lack of building foundations. The ground in much of Kibera is literally composed of refuse and rubbish. Dwellings are often constructed atop this unstable ground, and therefore many structures collapse whenever the slum experiences flooding, which it does regularly. This means that even well-constructed buildings are often damaged by the collapse of nearby poorly constructed ones.
The third complicating factor is the unyielding topography
Topography
Topography is the study of Earth's surface shape and features or those ofplanets, moons, and asteroids...
and cramped sprawl of the area. Few houses have vehicle access, and many are at the bottoms of steep inclines (which heightens the flooding risk). This means that any construction efforts are made more difficult and costly by the fact that all materials must be brought in by hand.
Clearance
On 16 September 2009 the Kenyan government, which claims ownership of the land on which Kibera stands, began a long-term movement scheme which will rehouse the people who live in slums in Nairobi.The clearance of Kibera is expected to take between two and five years to complete. The entire project is planned to take nine years and will rehouse all the slum residents in the city. The project has the backing of the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
and Prime Minister Raila Odinga
Raila Odinga
Raila Amollo Odinga , also popularly known to Kenyans as Agwambo, is a Kenyan politician, currently serving as the Prime Minister of Kenya in a coalition government. He has served as a Member of Parliament for Langata since 1992, was Minister of Energy from 2001 to 2002, and was Minister of Roads,...
, who is a local MP, and is expected to cost $1.2 billion. The new communities are planned to include schools, markets, playgrounds and other facilities. The first batch of around 1,500 people to leave the slum were taken away by truck on 16 September 2009 from 6:30 am local time and were rehoused in 300 newly constructed apartments with a monthly rent of around $10.
The project start was postponed several times when Prime Minister Odinga was unavailable to oversee the first day. He was joined on the first day by Housing Minister Soita Shitanda
Soita Shitanda
Soita Shitanda is a Kenyan politician. He belongs to New Ford Kenya and was elected to represent the Malava Constituency in the National Assembly of Kenya. Soita has represented Malava constituency since 1997, after he ousted the then, Minister of Health, Mr. Joshua Angatia in the general election,...
and his assistant Margaret Wanjiru
Margaret Wanjiru
Margaret Wanjiru is a Kenyan politician. She belongs to Orange Democratic Movement and was elected to represent the Starehe Constituency in the National Assembly of Kenya since the Kenyan parliamentary election, 2007....
, with all three helping residents to load their belongings onto the trucks. Also present were several dozen armed police officers to oversee the arrangements and to deter any resistance.
The process has been legally challenged by more than 80 people, and the Kenyan High Court has stated that the government cannot begin demolition works until the case is heard in October but will be able to demolish the homes of people who leave voluntarily before then. The 80 plaintiff
Plaintiff
A plaintiff , also known as a claimant or complainant, is the term used in some jurisdictions for the party who initiates a lawsuit before a court...
s are a mixture of middle-class landlords and Kibera residents, and they claim that the land in Kibera is theirs and hence the government has no right to demolish the shacks. The Nubian community, who have lived on the land for nearly 100 years, are also disappointed with the scheme, and one elder has said that the present housing should be improved instead.
The project has also come under fire from urban planners who say that it risks repeating the mistakes of previous schemes, when poor families either shared two-room apartments with one or two other families to pay the rent, or sublet them to middle-class families and moved back into the slums. Workers earning a minimum wage
Minimum wage
A minimum wage is the lowest hourly, daily or monthly remuneration that employers may legally pay to workers. Equivalently, it is the lowest wage at which workers may sell their labour. Although minimum wage laws are in effect in a great many jurisdictions, there are differences of opinion about...
in Kenya make less than US$2 per day. There is also controversy over the timing of the project, with the first phase, rehousing 7,500 people, being delayed by five years and one government official stating that if the project continues at the current pace it will take 1,178 years to complete.