Slum Profiles | Kasarani Division

128 | Slum Profiles | Kasarani Division Nairobi Inventory | 129 At some point during President Kenyatta’s reign, he visited the settlement and assured the residents that they would not be evicted from the site. They have however suffered several eviction attempts from NCC and Catholic Church Proj- ect, the latest being in 2002, and have 4 unde- termined court cases relating to land ownership claims. The land area is estimated to be 200 acres, be- longing to the Government of Kenya under the NCC. Initially a quarry site, part of this land has been claimed by the Catholic Church and some wealthy individuals for development. 130 | Slum Profiles | Kasarani Division • Electricity supply is limited to street security lights provided by the NCC. • Both external and internal access roads are in The resident population is estimated at slightly place. over 20 000 people, 60% of whom are adults. • Waste disposal system is poor and strewn solid wastes litter the settlement. • Mathare Post Office is the nearest public communication facility. The structures, numbering about 5000, are • Children attend Mathare 4A Primary School mainly made of iron sheets but stone and but congestion in classrooms remains a chal- brick houses are also coming up. Most struc- lenge to the learning process. tures have about 3 rooms measuring 10 by 10 • Mathare Hospital and Catholic dispensary pro- sq feet, mainly residential, and tenants pay be- vide out-patient healthcare services for common tween 800 and 1500 depending on the state of ailments, i.e. malaria, typhoid TB, and HIV-relat- the room. The majority of the structure owned opportunistic infections. ers and their families reside within the settlement. Most residents are employed or self-employed in the Jua Kali sector as casual and semi-skilled labourers and in trade in household consum- ables. • There are numerous piped water supply points mainly owned by the landlords within their plots and sell at 2 shillings for a 20-litre container • Sewer system is in place and well maintained Security concerns are handled by the chief and by the residents the elders. • There are several private and communal toi- No CBOs/NGOs support development initiatives lets, but not adequate given the high population in the settlement except for the Catholic Church. density in the settlement. The settlement has not benefited from govern- • Open drainage channels maintained by the res- ment’s devolved funds. idents are in place, though parts of the settlement is still prone to floods Nairobi Inventory | 131 The first residents settled here in 1964 and were mainly workers in the European coffee farms. The land area, measuring 80 acres, belonged to a European settler, passed on to an Indian, a land-buying society and private ownership by one Kang’ethe. No eviction threats have been received to date. The resident population is estimated at about 6000 occupying 270 structures with about 60% of the population being children. 132 | Slum Profiles | Kasarani Division • Private schools – Rich Academy, Esther Me- morial Academy, are also accessible but the fee of Kshs.3000 per term is beyond the reach of most residents. There are 270 structures, some with up to 15 • There are no youth vocational training institu- 10 by 10 ft rooms, while some structure own- tions nearby ers have permanent houses. More than half the resident population are tenants paying between • Residents rely on private health clinics for out- Kshs. 600 and 1500 as monthly rent depending patient services, as there are no public health on the condition of the house and construction facilities nearby. materials used. Common building materials are iron sheets, timber and mud. The majority of the residents rely on intermit- tent opportunities for casual labour and small- scale trade, with incomes ranging from Kshs. 150 to 200 per day • Piped water supply from Nairobi Water Com- pany is connected to every residential plot, managed by structure owners and sold at 2/- per 20-litre container. • Structure owners constitute the settlement • Latrines are constructed by structure owners committee and liaise with Provincial Administra- per plot and are in good working condition. tion office on security and community policing • Drainage is good as the ground is undulating arrangements. and not subject to flooding. • Self-help groups have been initiated but work • Solid waste disposal is mainly by burning. at the settlement level with no linkages to NGO, and have expressed willingness to join the Mu- • Electricity supply is available provided by KPLC ungano saving scheme. and cost factored into the rent payment for connected rooms. • No CDF projects have been initiated in the settlement but they have benefited from local • The Jathaini all-weather road provides access government activities. to the settlement. • Children attend Jathaini Primary School under the free education program but learning facilities are reported to be overstretched by the high enrolment levels. The school has room for ex- pansion which the residents want developed. Nairobi Inventory | 133 The settlers were mainly farm workers seeking employment in the tea farms nearby. The last eviction threat received was in 1998 by one Mr. Kathara believed to be a land-grabber. The resident population is estimated at about 3500 people occupying about 600 households There are about 400 structures mostly built of mud, timber, iron sheets and a few stone houses with an average of three rooms each. The structure-owner/tenant ratio is 3:1 and rental rates range between Kshs. 400 and 600 per month. 134 | Slum Profiles | Kasarani Division • Piped water supply by the Nairobi Water Com- pany is available at 5 standpoints managed by meter owners and project officials working under a World Vision program. Water is sold at 2/- per 20-litre container. • Pit latrines constructed by structure owners per plot. • Drainage system poor, pools of domestic wastewater and poor garbage disposal typifies the squalid environment highly prone to flooding, malaria, respiratory and water-borne dis- eases. • Access is by loose all-weather roads but within the settlement motorized transport is impos- sible, especially during rainy periods. • Children attend Mururui Primary School under the free primary education program, as private academies nearby charging between Kshs. 4500 and 6000 are beyond the reach of most residents. • There are no vocational training facilities near- Village elders constitute the settlement commit- by. tee responsible for governance and security concerns linking the residents with the provincial • Private clinics offer out-patient healthcare ser- administration. vices, with Roysambu Health Centre being the nearest public health facility. Resource mobilization for self-help initiatives are undertaken through Self Help Group Sav- • Most residents work as casual labourers earn- ings, some supported by World Vision on water ing between Kshs. 100 and 250, while some en- and sanitation and OVC sponsorship programs. gage in small-scale commercial activities. The residents have not benefited from devolved government funds. Nairobi Inventory | 135 The residents got relocated here from Korogocho in 1993 by the Minister for Local Government, having been displaced to give room for road construction. The land area measures about 10 acres and the residents have occasionally been threatened with eviction by unspecified people who claim ownership. The settlement population is estimated at about 4000 people in slightly more than 300 households, with children outnumbering adults in the ratio of 5:1 There are about 110 structures in the settlement, with over 300 residential rooms occu- pied by mainly structure owners. Most structures are made of stones cheaply gotten from the local quarry sites, while some are built us- ing mud and iron sheets. Tenants are few and pay between Kshs 200 and 500 for 10 by 10 sq. ft rooms. 136 | Slum Profiles | Kasarani Division Most residents work as casual labourers while engaging in market-oriented small-scale com- • Piped water supply is connected free but at merce and farming. Average incomes per day’s times residents buy from the neighboring Mwiki work range from Kshs. 100 to 250. Estate at 2/- per jerry-can. • There are 40 pit latrines constructed and maintained by structure owners but these are inade- quate due to the large population to be served. A committee of elders oversees governance is- • The sloping ground is naturally well drained sues within the settlement and has good working while waste disposal is directed to the river and relations with the local Provincial Administra- nearby bushes. tion, by whose intervention Sunton Police Post was built with CDF support to boost security in • One person is connected to metered power sup- the area. ply line but other residents have underground connections payable to the meter owner. Self-help interest groups offer opportunities for savings and pooling of resources for income • Kasarani KBL Post office serves the residents’ generation but have not linked with any develop- communication needs. ment support agencies. • Mwiki Muram road connects the settlement to The residents have petitioned the local authority the main tarmac road. and CDF committees for support in developing • The land has not yet been surveyed and no health and education facilities in the area. space has been reserved for social use. • Mwerema primary school, located 5kms from the settlement, is the only public school offering free primary education but highly congested. Some parents resort to private schools in nearby Mwiki Estate charging between Kshs 3000 and 4500 per term. Cases of school drop-out are common due to the distance to public schools. • There are no vocational training institutions nearby • Healthcare facilities are mainly private, offering out-patient services within Mwiki and Dan- dora Estates, while Mkunga Health centre offer maternity services. Nairobi Inventory | 137 The land area, estimated to be 10 acres, is believed to be government land and no eviction threats have been received to date.

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