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{
    "id": 721988,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/721988/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 189,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Kamanda",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 221,
        "legal_name": "Maina Kamanda",
        "slug": "maina-kamanda"
    },
    "content": "The Government, through a wide consultative process, formulated a National Slum Upgrading and Prevention Policy with the aim of producing policy whose goal is to guide the country towards upgrading existing slums and preventing emergence of new slums in a coordinated and systematic manner. Previously, local authorities developed affordable housing for low income households in several towns and cities. But with time, due to corruption and lack of effective monitoring, most of these units became illegally privatised with the local authorities getting only minimal or no cent at all or owners getting the market value rates. An example is the Dandora-Umoja Project of 1970s. Since 2004, through the Kenya Slum Upgrading Programme, the Government has been undertaking slum upgrading projects in most urban areas although most Members are saying their areas are not catered for. I think that is something that will be looked into. Since 2011, the Kenya Informal Settlement Improvement Project, a World Bank funded project, has been complementing Government’s effort through provision of social and physical infrastructure, security of tenure and capacity building in slums and informal settlements in 15 urban areas, among others. Maybe we need to table information on the 15 urban areas, so that Members can see which urban areas they are. Due to inadequate policy and illegal mechanisms, the upgrading scheme soon became a victim of market forces that continue to marginalise the urban poor. This policy, therefore, seeks to revisit this narrative. Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, the overall objective of this policy is to promote, secure and protect dignified livelihoods of the poor living and working in slums by strategically targeting them into social, political and economic framework in line with the Constitution. The reasons for slum formation and development are population growth as a result of rural-urban migration and bad governance, often brought about by failure to recognise the rights of the urban poor and incorporate them into urban planning and lack of enforcement mechanisms. There is lack of social housing to take care of low income earners and failure by the employer institutions to provide employees with housing. The existing slums and informal settlements can be upgraded by gradually improving formalisation and provision of basic services. Slum upgrading initiatives would aim at creating dynamic communities where there is sense of ownership, entitlement and investment in areas thus becoming integrated component of investing in citizens. A successive slum upgrading process needs strong political will from the Government. There must be incentives for agencies to work with the poor, good communication and coordination amongst stakeholders and clearly defined roles for the various agencies involved. For continuity of slum upgrading, legal and institutional mechanisms should be put in place to curb further slum formation and deterioration. This happens every time, for example in Nairobi, because there is no policy. You will find that every piece of land in Nairobi is allocated by chiefs and the MCAs. We have slums everywhere in the City of Nairobi. To prevent new slums from coming up, the Government should recognise that urbanisation is inevitable and prioritise planning prerequisite to new urban development. The policy is presented in seven chapters. Each of the chapters provides a problem statement, key issues and policy options that address identified issues. In conclusion, the policy will be of great importance in upgrading and prevention of slums in the country. With these few remarks, I beg to move. I request Hon. (Eng.) Mahamud, who is my Vice- Chairman, to second the Motion. The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
}