Habitat for Humanity Kenya (HFHK) has released findings of a detailed housing assessment study of Mukuru Informal Settlements in Nairobi.
The findings, which were unveiled at a stakeholder workshop held at a Nairobi hotel, highlight critical housing challenges affecting over half a million residents in the area.
Among those present during a public participation stakeholders meeting were policymakers, civil society organisations, community leaders, and residents who converged to deliberate on actionable solutions to the housing challenges in the City.
The challenges, which include overcrowding, land tenure insecurity, substandard housing, and limited access to basic services, call for urgent, multi-sectoral interventions towards addressing the state of living conditions of the communities affected.
Programs Director, Habitat for Humanity Kenya, Nixon Otieno, said the outcome of the report of the study sheds light on the need for collective action towards improving housing conditions in slums.
Otieno assured that Habitat for Humanity Kenya is committed to working with all stakeholders to ensure everyone in informal areas accesses safe, decent, and adequate housing.
He said: “HFHK is keen to promote decent, safe, and adequate housing for everyone to ensure they have a shelter.”
The Director of Housing, Nairobi County, Mr. Michael Kinoti, underscored the critical need for housing in informal settlements, including Mukuru, Kibera, and Mathare, among others, saying access to shelter is a constitutional and basic right.
Kinoti called on the Nairobi County government to ensure they provide adequate, habitable, and affordable housing for the low-income earners living in informal settlements in the City.
“Housing is a constitutional and a basic human right. It needs to be adequate, livable, and affordable. The Nairobi County Government needs to intervene to ensure this is achieved for the low-income earners in informal settlements like Mukuru,” he said.
The findings from Mukuru provided evidence-based recommendations to inform policy and decision-making processes, aimed at improving housing conditions and ensuring a dignified living environment for all residents.
The housing study assessment will also inform Habitat for Humanity Kenya’s ongoing efforts to advocate for policy reforms, social housing programs, and infrastructure improvements in the informal settlements.
The workshop, thus, set the stage for a critical step in addressing the housing challenges faced by residents of Mukuru, one of Nairobi’s largest informal settlements.
The housing assessment study revealed extreme overcrowding in Mukuru, with an estimated 527,526 to 700,000 residents living in just 2.5 square kilometres, resulting in an extremely high population density of around 280,000 individuals per square kilometre.
Besides that, more than 80% of residents live in makeshift structures made of iron sheets, lacking proper foundations and insulation and lacking basic services. The findings also show that only 59% of households have access to potable water, while over 70% lack proper sanitation, waste management, and drainage services.
Economic challenges have further aggravated the situation, as most households spend between 30-50% of their monthly income on rent, leaving little for other essentials like food, education, and healthcare. 39% of residents are unemployed, and 32% rely on informal self-employment, with most households earning less than Sh30, 000 per month.
Moreover, the study pointed out that land tenure insecurity is still a major concern, as many residents lack legal land ownership, making them vulnerable to forced evictions.
To address the housing challenge, the study outlined several key recommendations, including developing social housing programs with solutions tailored towards addressing the existing challenges residents face by prioritizing social housing.
The Study also recommended collective efforts in improving water, sanitation, waste management, and drainage systems to enhance living conditions, along with the implementation of skill development and microfinance initiatives to boost household incomes, enhance land tenure security, and increase access to affordable housing finance.
Program Coordinator for Youth and Governance at ActionAid Kenya, Mercy Gichengi, stated that the recommendations from the findings provided practical solutions to the real challenges faced in informal settlements.
She urged the government to engage directly with communities and eliminate power brokers who hinder access to essential services for the most vulnerable.
On her side, Kerry Sikolia from the State Department for Housing and Urban Development has called for the adoption of a clear policy direction on rental housing for slum dwellers, saying that the approach will enable low-income dwellers to access and afford the government Affordable Housing Programme.
Habitat for Humanity Kenya is committed to promoting decent, safe, and adequate housing and focuses on security of tenure, availability of services, affordability, habitability, accessibility, and cultural adequacy.
Through its #HomeEquals campaign, Habitat for Humanity Kenya (HFHK) is working in 8 counties across Kenya to empower communities, improve access to basic services, enhance climate resilience, and secure land tenure.
The workshop featured testimonials from Mukuru residents and contributions from partners such as the State Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Nairobi County Government, Nairobi Water and Sewerage Company, and key development partners such as ActionAid & Kenya Land Alliance.
By Ian Chepkuto