From flying to flushing loos: New start for Kibera residents

Edward Uhevi, 36 years old, arrives at his new home in Kibera Soweto East Zone ‘A’, Nairobi County. Uhevi is one of the beneficiaries of the Government's Kibera Slum Upgrading Housing project that was launched 12 years ago. (PHOTOS: ELVIS OGINA/ STANDARD)

NAIROBI: When Edward Uheki came to Nairobi from Shianda, Mumias in 2002, he spent his first night in a makeshift tent made of plastic bags and sacks in Kibera slum.

“I knew no one in Nairobi and Kibera was the only famous place so I made my way there,” he says.

Fourteen years later and Uheki is now the proud owner of two bedroom house courtesy of the Kenya Slum Upgrading Project that cost the Government and the UN-Habitat Sh2.9 billion.

Lack of good, affordable housing had subjected Uheki to live in surroundings he did not like but this is now a thing of the past as he looks to the future with renewed hope.

"I am even thinking of buying a car. I have a parking space allocated to me and it is high time I lived like other people," says the 36-year-old who could not contain his excitement as he talked about moving to his new home.

This became a reality on Friday July 15, 2016 at 10:36 when we accompanied Uheki to his new abode at Soweto East Zone A Estate nicknamed Canaan.

We take the flight of stairs to the fifth floor of G2 block and soon we are at door number 46. It takes Uheki about 15 minutes before he finally gets the right key and opens the door, ushering us into his spanking new apartment.

Uheki has already brought a few things, some old but most of them new. We take in his new environment. Brand new seats, new bed with its mattress still wrapped in polythene paper.

"My friend, this is a miracle," Uheki says, looking around as though he still cannot believe this is his home.

He continues: "There were rumours that these houses will be sold to some big shots and I was actually not even in the initial list. I was at work when our homes were demolished and a man stood in front of my house during the headcount. I had to lodge a complaint before it was changed.

"You cannot live like before. This is a new beginning and in order to take care of this house we need new things," he says as his large rough hands feel the new mattress.

Snapping out of his trance like state, Uheki - a welder and carpenter by profession, asks to accompany him to his former home.

Although his old house is just a stone throw away, the contrast is unimaginable. We make our way past streams of dirty water and congested tin houses and get to our destination.

Edward Uhevi, 36 years old, before leaving his previous residence in Kibra Soweto Zone B slums for his new home in Kibera Soweto East Zone 'A'

The room is dark and stuffy. It is made of timber and iron sheet walls and has been built on top of a mud house (like a flat) and keeps on shaking whenever someone steps on the floor.

The only items still here are his old radio and mattresses which is a thin raggedy looking thing covered in a tattered blanket.

Outside, we find a dilapidated pit latrine that is very dirty. Uheki informs us that the facility serves 15 houses and that it is used as a bathroom when people are in a hurry

"Compared to how I have been living, I am simply in heaven. Here I used to buy new things and they would get stolen. I believe that is no more," the father of two said.

Whereas he used to pay Sh2,800 as rent, he will pay Sh6,000 as mortgage for his new home.

"It does not matter. Such change of life requires change of lifestyle. Besides being employed, I have my own carpentry business and in a good month I can make as much as Sh100,000," he says.

The new houses at at Soweto East Zone A Estate are self-contained, have running water, legal power connections (tokens), sinks, kitchen cabinets, door bell and a balcony.

But, despite these amenities, some like Christopher Munjogu are not ready to move in. He would rather stay at his current mud walled house which doubles up as his business premise - a tiny shop.

The structure has one window that he also uses to serve his customers. He actually shares the structure with ducks which are known to be filthy in their environment.

"The houses are nice but the mortgage price is too high for me. Besides, I cannot leave my shop unattended," says the 62-year-old..

Munjogu is also required to pay Sh6,000 every month as mortgage.

"I will have one of my sons stay in the house while my wife and I continue living here, taking care of my business," he says.