Rethink housing policies after Huruma tragedy

There is an old adage that you should never waste a crisis. Crises provide opportunities for change. They are a chance to hit the reset button and correct course for the better. Unfortunately, in Kenya our leaders have a knack for wasting one crisis after another. Instead of rising to the occasion and doing the right thing, our leaders typically respond to crises by digging in and playing the blame game, or completely ignoring an ongoing crisis.

The latest crisis involves low-income housing in Nairobi and the state of regulation of the construction sector. The Huruma Tragedy is but a symptom of an endemic problem in much of Nairobi. The vast majority of Nairobians – upwards of 70 per cent – live in informal settlements in abhorrent, dehumanising conditions. Whole families share single rooms. In many instances entire floors share a single toilet and bathroom. Many units lack reliable water and power supply. And when it rains the streets in most Nairobi neighbourhoods become impassable. And God forbid, when an emergency situation arises, the layout of these neighbourhoods make it impossible for emergency crews to reach the affected. Several fire tragedies and collapsed buildings have repeatedly reminded us of this sorry state of affairs.