Close to over 1.5 billion persons are currently living in slums and the number is expected to balloon in the coming years.
More worryingly, the vast growth of slums globally is felt in developing countries at a greater rate, further complicating the policymakers' strategies.
Kenya shares the same problem. The slums issue continues to escalate with few signs to end this problem in the urban cities.
Mukuru Kwa Njenga like any other urban slum is not an isolated case and shoulders several myriads of social challenges.
They are overcrowded families crammed on small living spaces and the possible outbreak of diseases due to lack of sanitation including clean drinking water.
The slum settlement lacks the very social amenities; infrastructural emergency accessibility roads, waste collection drainage system, lighting and safe walking ways.
The rapid rate of urbanization has been pointed to account for the problem subsequently, becoming a significant concern given that many countries have failed to provide for the basic infrastructural and affordable housing to the heavy flocking of people to the cities.
Slums emerge to play a critical role in economic growth and failure to address the phenomenon would ruin the economy.
It is hypocritical to overlook that slum dwellers are the source of economic force, offering a huge chunk of cheap labour.
Each slum resident has a diverse interest and shares different background that demonstrates homogeneity with the majority preferring the city life.
Though slums have been in existence, it is high time that the government takes considerable measures to improve the substandard condition in slums settlements.
The government should understand their plights and formulate a workable modelling slum upgrading programmes in the country to tackle their plight.
Enhancing slum upgrading requires concerted effort with all players brought on board.
The government may commence further classifying slums as a form of human settlement.
Additionally, establishing its impacts and factors as to why the numbers are burgeoning and persistent.
The government may press on the rural development initiative simply to slow pace urban migration though this has been tried with little success.
The government’s silver lining will come out from formulated policies to broaden the framework to understand the dynamic nature of slums and their complex interaction in development.
Edited by Kiilu Damaris