Shackles of doom - The sad state of Mathare valley slums

On the eastern side of Nairobi (Kenya’s capital city), lies Mathare Valley slums. The slum, one of the oldest in Africa, is home to over half a million households all confined within a mere square kilometer stretch of land. Like in the proverbial animal farm, survival is a daily struggle only reserved for the fittest. Livelihood bets on a backdrop of poverty, anarchy, prostitution, lack of basic amenities among a myriad of social complexities. A walk within the slum actually reveals the complex nature of life in Mathare. There is absolute inaccessibility to the most basic amenities among them food, water, shelter and healthcare. Road infrastructure is totally not existent. One wonders what would happen in the event of a catastrophic fire outbreak that would require fire engines in the slum.  

Housing is in a pathetic state. Residents have to live within their makeshift structures which also serve as business outlets for the few lucky slum dwellers that operate small-scale businesses. The makeshift shanties are either made of rusty iron sheets, red loam soil or in some cases, polythene walls. Raw sewer openly drains from the nearby suburbs like Utalii Hotel, Muthaiga, and Survey of Kenya. The stench of raw sewer fills the air as human waste flows across the shanties, eventually draining into the nearby Nairobi River. Security is never guaranteed. Not even a police post can be found within Mathare Valley. A vague symbolization of security few scattered chief camps which only operate during the day.