About 900,000 of the three million residents of the capital’s informal settlements are starving, a survey indicates. The city’s total population is more than four million
Further, 22 per cent of children in slums are malnourished and some are at risk of dying, the survey indicates. Korogocho slum is the worst hit by hunger and malnutrition.
The
findings are contained in the Early Warning and Action Mechanism Strategy survey. It was carried out by City Hall in partnership with the Kenya Red Cross, Oxfam and World Concerns .
GO TO SLEEP HUNGRY
“It is very unfortunate that while a section of the city residents have enough food and only focus on its safety, the other section cannot afford even a meal in a day,” Agriculture executive Njuguna Wachira told the Star yesterday
A special feeding programme has started and residents are encouraged to take up urban agriculture
Wachira said those in informal settlements either go to sleep hungry or only eat one meal a day. Many children do not eat nutritional meals.
500 HOUSEHOLDS
The survey was commissioned in December 2017 and released in February, however, it was not made public until yesterday. Wachira blames former CEC member Danvas Makor for failing to make it public.
To make the projection of 900,000, 2,000 households were surveyed in 30 informal settlements, including Kibera, Mukuru, Kawangware, Korogoco and Mathare. It was carried out face to face by individual surveyors. “People in Mukuru, Kibera, Korogocho, Kawangware and most of these slums are suffering and hungry. In Korogocho, we found about 200 families in pathetic situation and they need help,” Wachira said. Living conditions are deplorable, plagued by lack of water, little or no sanitation, poor hygiene and lack of essential services. Garage is strewn about and drainages have not been cleared for hears.
Last month, the county invited private investors to submit letters of interest to re-develop 24 informal settlements, including the largest slum, Kibera, said to be the largest urban slum in Africa.
The county and Oxfam, the Red Cros and other organisations have already put together a Sh30 million budget to help those starving.
HYDROPONICS FARMING
“We are buying nutritional supplements and food, in some cases even water and taking it to them. It has not been given much publicity but that is what is happening. The situation is serious down there,” Wachira said.
He said his department is encouraging city residents to adopt urban agriculture to improve food security.
Over 80 per cent of food consumed in Nairobi comes from outside the county, mostly from
Kiambu, Narok, Machakos, Kajiado, Muranga and Nakuru.
“We want Nairobians to produce their own food, however little. We encourage them to embrace hydroponics — planting vegetables without soil. It is simple, you just lay pipes on
pipes on the wall and connect it to a water source and use liquid fertiliser,” he said.The county is mobilising youths to work in groups, providing them with seedlings and fertiliser and expert advice on urban agriculture.