TB: Child-friendly drug now in American sport gains popularity hospitals Story >>> Pg 7 in Mukuru Story >>> Pg 8 Shining Hope for Communities FREE hetto Mirror Do not buy G April 2017 Real life stories from the slums ISSUE 40 Ghetto Mirror @Ghettomirror_KE ghettomirroronline.wordpress.com [email protected] Fresh Start for Kuwinda Slum Nairobi Governor Dr. Evans Kidero donates six million shillings for residents to rebuild their homes The slum has burnt down thrice but this was the worst in its history. KUWINDA By Mirror Reporter <<>> The fire started at 11.30pm on Wednesday 29th March after a lit candle fell on a mattress. The flames were spread by gas cylinder explosions. <<>> A total of 308 houses were burnt down in the midnight fire. One blind woman was killed and 2000 people were left homeless. <<>> The Wednesday fire was the third in the slum. The other fires were in 1991 and 1995. <<>> Nairobi County Governor Evans Kidero donated six million shillings for rehabilitation of the slum. Residents of Kuwinda Slum are a happy lot after they received a five million shillings donation which will enable them rebuild their houses which were razed down by a massive fire three weeks ago. Continued on page 3 Do you know any survivor of Gender Based Violence? Report all forms of gender violence. Call Defilement? Domestic? Rape? ... 0703 445 737 ... ISSUE 40 Ghetto Mirror | 2 APRIL 2017 We welcome comments and letters on the stories we publish. Send your email to [email protected]. TALKING POINT You can also drop your letters at our offices in Gatwekera near PAG Church. Slum fires point to a deeper issue in society n January this year, residents of Kibera’sLindi ward were rendered homeless after a huge fire burnt down their houses. The fire reportedly started in a food Ikiosk before quickly spreading to other houses. This was the first fire in Kibera this year. There have since been at least three other fires in different parts of the slum. In March, a fire in Mathare’s 4A area burnt down more than 70 houses after a cooking stove is said to have exploded. One person was seriously injured in the incident. Come early April and Kuwinda slum in Karen was nearly wiped out by a huge fire which burnt down almost all the houses in the slum, killing one person and leaving more than 2000 people homeless. Before the smoke could settle in Kuwinda, another dawn fire was reported in Nairobi’s Gikomba market in Kamukunji which destroyed millions worth of property. These are just a handful of fires which have occurred in different slums in Nairobi just this year. Indeed fires are accidents which occur unexpectedly. However, the large number of fires breaking out in slums and informal settlements is disturbing. What’s worse is that the fires are now leaving casualties and fatalities behind. In Kibera slum, most fires are blamed on illegal electricity connections while in Gikomba market the fires are blamed on arson attacks. Could these fires be telling us something? Perhaps they are pointing to a deeper issue within the society. Sadder still, in almost all these incidents the fire rescue teams are unable to get to the scene fast enough because of lack of access roads. It is now time to sit and critically analyze why there are so many fires in slums, The High Cost of Unga is Alarming where they originate from and what measures can be taken to stop them before a By Kaluki Katanai In 2011, the ‘unga revolution’ upwards. Milk is selling between bigger inferno claims more lives. rallies hit the streets again, with Ksh55 and Ksh70 up from the n a country where maize Kenyans in different parts of the city previous Ksh45. flour is a staple commodity, protesting the high cost of living. What is obvious is that the poor Quote of the month Ithe skyrocketing prices of What is common about the are suffering from these prices. maize meal flour are a real cause for price increments is that with each Many Kenyans are still living under concern. different government that comes to one dollar per day, meaning that This considering that majority power, prices of basic commodities they cannot even purchase a pint of Progress is impossible of poor people, especially those hit the roof. milk without feeling the pinch. living in slums and rural areas rely 2017 being an election year The situation is made worse by on ugali made from maize meal means that things may not be too the prevailing drought which means without change, and those flour for their daily meals. different from the past. that even vegetables are expensive. This is not the first time the cost Perhaps with the new As it stands, Kenyans need to of flour has hit the roof; in 2006, government will come new price come together and stage another who cannot change their there were the popular ‘Unga for hikes? rally; however this time the 30/-’ campaign rallies after prices of It seems that 2011 was the last revolution needs to be felt strongly basic commodities like flour, sugar time there was a demonstration enough if at all any change is to be minds cannot change and bread were increased without about the high cost of living. made. explanation. This year, things have become At the time, the cost of a pack of worse. Maize flour is now retailing Kaluki Katanai is a anything. 2kg flour had increased from Ksh27 between Ksh140 and Ksh160 while correspondent of the to Ksh45. wheat flour is retailing from Ksh145 Ghetto Mirror George Bernard Shaw YOUR SAY A publication of Shining Hope For Communities New Policies Needed to Deal with Youth Unemployment nemployment is the there is still need for policies to make sure they eventually break Editor main problem faced which encourage and support even. Joyce Mutheu Uby youth in slums entrepreneurship. For instance, a good idea is and informal settlements in most The informal sector is currently to create an incubator system countries, as young people bear the the biggest employer of youth in whereby funds are set aside with Layout & Design brunt of poor economies and bad Kenya, yet it is rarely considered the expectation of helping young Owino Paul leadership by being sidelined when by financial institutions in termsof investors take baby steps in their it comes to employment. financial capital in form of loans and business start-ups. Illustrations Walking through the slums of credit. We also need to update our Grandsan Nairobi, you will often see many training to bring youth up to speed unemployed youth sitting idly Capital deficiency with current trends so that graduates Contributors Philip Ocheche, Jane Macharia, Fred Maingi, chatting away or engaging in casual can be marketable in the global Felix Omondi, Gerald Otieno, Rehema Zaid, labour in exchange for a few coins. As a result, many start-ups market. Adan Ibrahim & Liz Otieno Youth comprise a large end up closing shop even before In the words of former US percentage of the world population their first birthday due to capital President Barack Obama, “Change and now a good number of them deficiency. will not come if we wait for some Technical Assistance have resorted to self-employment Apart from stimulating other person or some other time. We in the informal sector to eke out a Albanous Gituru & Rose Adera economies to absorb more people are the ones we’ve been waiting for living. in company and government jobs, and we are the change that we seek.” However, there are many youth the government should find ways E-mail: [email protected] succeeding in the informal sector, of financing and nurturing start-ups James Lovi - Kibera ISSUE 40 APRIL 2017 Ghetto Mirror | 3 Fresh start for Kuwinda residents Gathoni where they are receiving year. temporary shelter as they await Shile’s house was among the reconstruction of the upgraded those which were burnt down and village. everything, including her two The remaining five families sisters’ school books and uniform, which were sheltered by the PCEA were left in ashes. church left the temporary shelter a Her sisters are living temporarily week ago. with their aunt in Gataka slum, The Kuwinda slum landlords’ Dagoretti, as they wait to move back committee later met and resolved home. “Where can we go? This is to allow only a few residents back the only place we know,” says Shile once the upgrading project is as she wipes a tear from her eye. completed in order to weed out the In the new slum upgrading said criminals. project, houses will be constructed This poses a challenge for in storeys to pave way for service those who wish to return but cannot lanes which are accessible by because for most teenagers and vehicles in case of emergency. infants, this was the only place they But even as the county Residents of Kuwinda slum in temporary tents donated by the Kenya Red Cross after fire razed knew as home. government sets out in this project, down their homes. (Cover photo) Nairobi County Governor Evans Kidero presents Ksh6 million “I came here in 2014 to join a pending court case between the cash to Rev. Dr. Alphonce Kanga of PCEA Church. (Below) Molly Shile views the remains of my family. My mother has lived in owner of the 2.5 acre plot and the what was their home. Photos | Joyce Mutheu this slum for more than 10 years,” current 13 landlords will determine From page 1 Kenya Red Cross, which set Church Elder at the Presbyterian says 19-year old Molly Shile who whether Kuwinda slum is here to up camp at the PCEA Church Church in Kuwinda, the fire tragedy completed secondary school last stay or if it is a passing cloud.