By WAINAINA NDUNG’U
Nyeri,Kenya:Gachagua banking on good history of defunct municipalities in servicing debts as he hopes to attract aid
yeri County Government will seek international financing for a slum-upgrading project.
Governor Nderitu Gachagua said yesterday that Nyeri and Karatina municipalities in the county had a good history of servicing donor financing which he will explore to address a housing shortage in the county.
“Slums are a reality in a rapidly urbanising country such as ours and I am happy to note the country has now abandoned demolition which was the policy up to the 1990s,” said Gachagua.
Opening a deliberation on the proposed National Slum Upgrading and Prevention Policy, Gachagua said his government would explore international financing to upgrade informal settlements in slums including Witemere, Majengo and Kiawara in Nyeri town.
He also said his government will support research and innovations in provision of affordable and durable building materials to not only bolster the housing sector but to create employment in the area.
“County governments will be under pressure to ensure people in slums live in dignity and feel cared for especially because adequate and affordable housing with reasonable sanitation is a right under the new Constitution,” said Gachagua.
He said his government will draw up legislation to guide provision of housing for the poor adding that physical planning will be a key pillar of his government and it will be under the docket of one member of his yet to be appointed county executive.
But he said in the interim, his government would seek to make life easier for populations in slums through provision of high mast street lighting to improve security, building of storm water drainage to improve sanitation and installation of adequate communal water taps.
“Consultations shall be done in earnest and we shall start with a baseline study to find out what slum dwellers really want,” said the Governor.
In a speech read on his behalf by Acting Deputy Director of Slum Upgrading Program Pauline Mbote, Housing PS Tirop Koskey said over 5.4 million Kenyans were living in informal settlements in Kenyan urban areas.
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