State told to up urban security, housing for posterity

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By DAVID OHITO

Experts have called for increased investments in urban areas throughout the country if rising urban poverty and inequalities are to be addressed.

Citing many challenges facing urban dwellers ranging from high unemployment rates, inadequate infrastructure, environmental degradation to poor housing, the experts meeting to discuss the draft National Urban Policy Development said all counties must look at policy options that will incorporate the urban poor.

Dr Peter Kamau, a researcher on urban development, said the situation could worsen unless investments are directed at upgrading informal settlements, now that 60 per cent of urban residents live in slums.

"In Kenya we have a back log of 250,000-300,000 houses annually, but only about 156,000 units are built each year. It means more people have no option but to seek shelter in slums." Kamau said,

He argued that for Kenya to progress, property developers should get tax rebates and holidays, which will encourage them to build more houses in urban areas.

"Demand for housing is very high outstripping the supply, and policy options must include development of a wide range of housing with necessary facilities in accordance with building and planning regulations for all income groups," Dr Kamau said.

He insisted that the country must ensure that everyone living in urban areas has access to decent and affordable housing.

Building materials

"There must be fiscal incentives towards the supply of low cost housing as well as encourage use of innovative building materials and construction technologies." Dr Kamau explained.

"We must develop appropriate housing standards for the different segments of the urban population and develop criteria for developing neighbourhoods," he added.

In keynote speech at the Kenya School of Monetary Studies, Local Government PS Prof Karega Mutahi said rapid urbanidsation has seen population in Kenya’s urban centres rise from a paltry five per cent in 1963 to 34 per cent currently. And in the next two decades, he added, half the entire population will be living in urban centres.

"Urban areas contribute 70 per cent of the GDP, and the question we should be asking is how much could these areas achieved if they were better managed?" Prof Karega asked.

Karega singled out property developers, saying they must not subject Kenyans to the pains of seeing buildings collapse by adhering to the norms and standards of modern urban habitation.

Avoid pain

"Let us avoid the pain that we have seen when buildings collapse or are brought down because they violate building regulations," Karega said.Meanwhile, Deputy Director of Urban Planning, Patrick Adolwa, raised issue with the rampant insecurity in urban areas, citing the rising cases of violent crime and insecurity, traffic jams and accidents.

"All urban authorities should have maps of areas susceptible to all crime types and hotspots as a matter of urban planning and management data," said Adolwa, who is the coordinator of National Urban Development Policy. "There must be decentralisation of safety and security responsibilities. There must also be a link between safety and urban planning so that disaster response can be faster and effective," Adolwa said.

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