Study: More than 20,000 Kenyans live on the streets, majority are men

A group of Kenyans will not be travelling “home” for Christmas because the street is their home. They are the homeless; the wretched of the earth.

Poorly dressed and fed, they live at the mercy of the elements and the dangers that stalk the night in East Africa’s largest metropolis. Their homelessness revolves around evictions, economic hardships, poverty, physical and mental problems, broken families and lack of affordable housing.

Personal vulnerability makes them to sleep in turns to avert dangers that lurk in the dark. Lack of a sense of belonging makes them prone to sexual predators, violence, hunger and drugs a constant companion.

According to census report released in 2019, more than 20,000 Kenyans live on the streets and at least 20,095 are homeless, a majority being men.

The data shows that 17,747 men sleep on the streets compared to 2,348 girls and women. The majority of homeless people, 14,581, were found in urban centres compared to 5,520 in rural areas. Only 841 women are homeless in rural areas compared to 1,507 men. Nairobi has the highest number of street people at 6,743; 679 of them women.

It’s a sunny day in the CBD and Veronicah Wangeci, a homeless mother, sits outside a building near Muthurwa market braving the scorching sun with her child. She is begging for food. 

“These streets are my home. I used to live in a single room when I came to the city but I was evicted by the landlord because I couldn’t afford to pay rent. I sleep on these corridors because I have nowhere to go.

At first, I used to fear that something bad might happen to me during the night but nowadays, I have gotten used to it because I have no option. Life in the streets is hard especially when you are a woman because of sexual predators,” says Wangeci.

Susan Njuguna, a social worker based Komarock who takes care of the homeless in Nairobi, says that street families have to do their best to get something to eat and survive in the city.

“They look for food in dumpsites or hotel and market bins. Others sell plastics and scrap metals to get some money to buy food. Most of them sleep in abandoned buildings and beneath bridges. They also carry cartons, blankets and pieces of torn clothes that they hide or move with them so they can use them to cover themselves,” she divulges.

“Most of them don’t know the biological fathers of their children. Many street marriages are not stable and there are instances when married women leave their husbands if they are unable to provide and get someone else in their circles that can provide,” adds Njuguna.

 

Homeless man takes a nap. Study shows that many people end up in the streets after search for better life hits a snag. [PHOTO: COURTESY]

 

The social worker says many children die because of their mothers’ negligence, illiteracy and the harsh conditions on the streets.

“Schooling for these kids becomes difficult unless a well-wisher chips in. They are brought up in a hostile environment and they end up being hostile throughout their lives. We try to help them through feeding programmes that extends to Christmas so that they can feel well loved,” she says.

Maurice Odhiambo, who is homeless, says he left the village hoping that he would make it big in the city.

“It frustrates me that I sleep on a foot bridge because I can’t afford a roof over my head. During the rainy season, I sleep while standing. Lack of food is stressful because you can’t find sleep on an empty stomach,” says Odhiambo.

Nairobi based medic, Dr Lenny Kawa, says most homeless people are malnourished and exposed intestinal parasites because of the quality of food they eat.

“When these people contract diseases, accessing medical care becomes an uphill task. The other challenge that homeless mothers face is lack of family planning services, maternity and postpartum care which is very important in their lives,” the doc says, adding that they are vulnerable to traffic accidents and Covid-19 because they can’t afford masks or access water and soap for frequent hand washing

John Kariuki of Delightsome Community Initiative in Mathare sums it up: For the urban homeless, survival depends on the mercy of the gods.

“These people have nowhere to call home and that’s why we chose to be there for them especially during the festive season. They live a miserable life and that’s why we try to make them feel wanted in the society,” he says.

Kariuki adds that the homeless never think of tomorrow because whether or if they will survive the day depends on God’s mercy.

“When one of them dies, they make sure that they bury him or her. But most of the time, it’s the missionaries of charity fathers who provide coffins so that they can be given a decent burial. I cook for them thrice a week and their daily travail is looking for scrap metal, waste papers and plastics to sell so that they can eke out a living.

“They marry among themselves and live on the streets, sleeping on corridors and shop verandas, facing harassment from police who ignore the fact that these people have nowhere to go. Most of the time, they end up sustaining injuries and are sexually abused,” says Kariuki.