Introduction
In Kenya, statistics indicate that approximately 60% of the urban population live in informal settlements commonly referred to as slums. Approximately 40% of this urban population (Oxfam, September 2009) lives in absolute poverty (per capita income is equivalent to less than one US dollar per day). In Nakuru where Solid House Foundation (SHF) and partners are working on a urban programme, the current poverty levels are rated at 56% of close to the towns one million inhabitants with a staggering 45% unemployment rate, an inhumane situation.
Background
In May 2008, SHF received a request from the Municipality Council of Nakuru (MCN) to assist the Council in the development of a programme that would take care of the upgrading / renewal of its housing stock.
Statistics from MCN and other agencies indicate that Nakuru is one of Kenya’s fastest growing towns at an alarming rate of 7% population growth per year. This is partly attributed to the move from people of rural areas to urban areas in the search for work, the strategic location on the Mombassa – Uganda highway and the influx of persons fleeing violence witnessed in the province after the disputed 2007 presidential elections.
The rapid population growth has in-turn exerted more pressure to an already dilapidated housing infrastructure, turning the formerly well organised municipal housing estates and WatSan facilities into unhealthy living situations/slums.
The town also continues to witness a rapid urban sprawl as people acquire land far from the city centre to put up their own housing. This has eaten into a hitherto agriculturally rich hinterland causing a serious food security threat for the town and this location is too far located to connect it with municipality services as water, sewerage, waste collection, etc. Both of those consequences have a devastation effect on the natural environment
Because of the above mentioned and many more habitat challenges facing the town, SHF decided to assist the MCN. Together with Mugaano Support Trust (MuST), Practical Action, National Cooperative Housing Union (NACHU), the University of Nairobi and other partners MCN and SHF are working on the development and implementation of a sustainable urban renewal and upgrading programme.
Objectives Nakuru urban renewal/upgrading programme
- Increase access to affordable, cost effective and sustainable housing, water and sanitation and other social amenities by residents of Kimathi and Flamingo estate and later other estates of Nakuru town
- Development and implementation of a Strategic Housing Vision for Nakuru (SHVN) to guide the fast growth and dam the urban sprawl
- Development and implementation of structure plan for specific low income estates
- Identify and encourage the use of appropriate, affordable and innovative building technologies
- Build capacity to organise and support housing cooperatives to set up self-help housing schemes
- Identify and design micro mortgage possibilities for inhabitants wishing to build their own house
- Build capacity of residents in saving and loan programmes
- Discuss and design income generating programmes, with focus on alternative energy.
Progress
Currently, MCN, SHF and partners are developing a SHVN, a policy document, which once complete will be the blue print for housing development in the town. The team held a workshop for the town’s political leadership to seek support for the SHVN and chart the way forward towards the end of 2009. The workshop, which was successful, culminated into the creation of a working group coordinated by the Deputy Town Clerk, who will work on the development of the SHVN.
Alongside working on SHVN, SHF and its Architects Thinktank are finalising a new structure plan for the town’s Flamingo and Kimathi estate and developing two pilot projects in this estate to prove the concept of the ideas presented in the SHVN. One pilot will be a incremental self build pilot, while the other will be an apartment building, including business units. In April 2010 SHF and community members carried out a baseline survey in Flamingo and Kimathi estate to indicate the housing satisfaction, needs, wishes and financial possibilities of the residents.
Together with MuST and the residents, SHF works on the establishment of housing cooperatives, through a saving and loan programme in the two estates. We also work with micro-credit institutions on finding a feasible and affordable micro mortgage model for housing cooperatives, eager to develop their housing project.
The way forward
SHF’s involvement in Nakuru is long term. The need for building the Municipal Council’s capacity to create awareness and solve the planning issues of the town faces is huge. Progress is slow, which is not strange because physical planning has never been high on Kenya’s agenda. But when SHF succeeds in bringing implementation of the SHVN on the political agenda, the above mentioned three pronged approach to tackling housing problems by SHF and partners in Nakuru, may provide a success sustainable and innovative model, owned by the local government of Nakuru and residents, for other towns in Kenya facing similar challenges.
SHF would once again like to acknowledge and thank partners on the Nakuru programme for their continued commitment. SHF would like to single out the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands for their tremendous financial support to this programme.
