How poverty is pushing Kenyans to live in danger zones

Buildings stand on the bank of a river near a cleared ground after the search of both dead and survivors of the Huruma tradgedy. [PHOTOS: Elly McOngare and File/ Standard]

Perez Tuitai is a 35-year-old father of one, who is soon to be father of two. Like thousands of others, Tuitai left his home in West Pokot five years ago to look for greener pastures in the big city and has, for the last two years, worked at a clothes shop in town where pay depends on the day’s sales. On a good day, he takes home Sh400. For Tuitai, such good days are few and far between.

On Wednesday, April 27, Tuitai opted to move his family out of a house in Huruma where he was paying a monthly rent of Sh3,500 to an adjacent one where the rent was Sh1,500 for a single room. Little did he know that the building he was moving into would come tumbling down three days later.