Sport:

Over 300 boys and girls from Nairobi slums are benefiting from a youth rugby project, called the Shamas Rugby Foundation. Page 8

Against all odds:

Meet a family where the mother is a specialized shoe maker while her husband popular known as baba mboga. Page 3

www.shininghopeforcommunities.org

Do not buy
ISSUE: 9

FREE

Human rights group calls on Kenyan government to end mass evictions

By the Mirror team
Thousands of Nairobi slum dwellers are threatened with eviction from their homes and businesses to facilitate a new European Union-funded road, Amnesty International says in a new report. The report, titled We Are Like Rubbish in This Country, focuses on two informal settlements, highlighting the brutality used by police officers and hired goons to enforce evictions. Nairobi is estimated to be home to 3.1 million inhabitants, at least half of whom live in slums or informal settlements. The Amnesty survey was carried out in the Deep Sea and City Carton slums by researchers to highlight how, despite constitutional protection, slum dwellers live in constant fear of losing their homes. Kenyas constitution specifically recognizes the right to adequate housing, so the scale and frequency of forced evictions has led to an urgent need for legislation that explicitly prohibits forced evictions, says Amnesty. The Kenyan government is also obligated under a range of national and international human rights laws its a signatory to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, which guarantees the right to housing to respect, protect and fulfill the right to adequate shelter. Investigations show that City Carton slum residents were forcefully evicted in the middle of the night on May 10 this year without notice. On May 10, approximately 200 men arrived at City Carton accompanied by 170 police officers. The men, who were reportedly hired by an agent of an institution that

Residents forced out for roads construction

Ghetto Mirror
Real life stories from slums

LAND TUSSLE

OCTOBER 2013

http://ghettomirrorkenya.wordpress.com

A group of women sue private land owners in Mukuru

Women in Mukuru Kwa Njenga slums have formed a group to provide legal protection against landlords. This follows their fear of sexual violence as they answer the call of nature in the nearby bush. Through a Kenyan nongovernmental organization known as Muungano wa Wanavijiji, the women are launching their own legal proceedings against the Mukuru landowners private companies and individuals. Mukuru Kwa Njenga has an estimated 400,000 inhabitants The petition asks for the construction of toilets near their homes and safe access to them. Some women have been raped in the area because they have to travel too far to use them. Dorice Moseti, 31, who has lived in Mukuru for 12 years, is one of the women planning the legal action against private land owners. We have money, we want to upgrade, Moseti says. We are Kenyans and we have the right to have our land. They say private ownership of the land has precluded the

HOMELESS: An elderly woman curries her belonging inside the yellow polythene bag after the last eviction of Mukuru Kwa Ruben where more than 400 families were forcibly evicted Continued on Page 6 from their homes Photo: Peter Ombedha
By Sheila Kavuzi

building of adequate sanitation facilities, forcing female slum dwellers to walk long distances to use toilets, risking sexual violence. We have to go in to the bushes near our homes for long calls but we are still very afraid, she says as she points out for this writer a small collection of toilets, which she says she wont use after sunset for fear of rape or sexual harassment. Moseti hopes the lawsuit will lend support to Muunganos initial proceedings by illustrating the human consequences of private ownership of slum land. Both cases are expected to begin by December. This legal action comes as Kenyas wealth gap is spiraling out of control. Nairobi was recently ranked Africas fifthlargest hub of the super-rich, with 5,000 millionaires, while 60% of the city is estimated to live in one of the more than 100 informal settlements according to world bank survey. Continue on page 6,

TALKING POINT Companies queeing for CDF funds

We welcome letters on topical issues or the stories we publish and comments on ghettomirrornews@gmail.com or ghettomirror@shininghopeforcommunities.org. You can also drop them at our office at Gatwekera near PAG Church, Kibera.

Ghetto Mirror

OCTOBER 2013: ISSUE 9

The time has come when people have to forget the past and be transparent with the public funds
Politics is always a game-a very dirty game. Having known this, the common man is left with only few options, of either forgetting the political and ethnical difference or do so. Health education is needed for both our young girls and boys, to overcome early pregnancies and contraction of STIs not to mention drugs infrastructure is still an issue people are still politically divided across the whole country. Schools have come out to save on the girl child. Kibera School for Girls, is one that is laying a wonderful foundation to slum girls, unbelievably bright in deed. The jobless also need rent for shelter, clothing and have mouths to feed, thus putting them in a straining situation. Lots of youth choose to turn to talent, which at underground level doesnt pay. This brings frustration to them a bridge that can be used to get other ill platforms as money source to clothe and feed. as I am writing this, a footballer who have plaid this game for eight years now is confirming that most of the gangsters shot down are footballers. What is missing? Is it the society that is failing to handle this? who is wrong? All the differences must only be left behind for people focus on working together for the future of this lovely nation regardless of political affiliations and differences. Most of the people do not know how to access the money allocated in the relevant government offices some even think that the money is meant for those with phones. Currently the government and CDF committees are hard pressed to deliver according to the promises parties and individual victorious MPs given that the needs of the people are unlimited yet the allocation of funds is limited.

Urgent interventions needed to ensure that the poor get a decent chance in life
By Nganga Mbugua
In about a fortnight, Standard Eight and Form Four candidates will be sitting their national exams. As it happens every year, candidates from rich and middle class families will outperform their counterparts from poor families. In a country where education levels determine ones income and access to employment opportunities, children from rich and middle class families will have a head start. This means that the inequalities in opportunity and income that characterize our society today will continue. As such, one can accurately predict that children from better off families will enjoy higher incomes than their poorer age mates when they grow up. In the last few years, the Ministry of Education has tried to reduce this inequality by giving more slots in the best public schools to bright children from poor families. This policy has not always gone well with the owners of academies and of course, middle class families who patronize private schools. One reason why children from these families perform better academically than their poor counterparts has to do with the fact that from an early age, they have access to more food that is also of higher nutritional value. This, in turn, means they have better brain development and higher body mass indices and are, therefore, stronger and healthier than their poor counterparts who often go to school hungry. Whereas initiatives like the school feeding programme have ensured that thousands of children from poor households remain in school, there is need to do more to empower their parents to become selfsufficient in food production, and not just in carbohydrates. For instance, according to the 2009 Kenya Population and Housing Census, Kenya had only 31.8 million chickens, out of which 6.1 million were being raised for commercial purposes. By inference, this indicates that many families among the rural and urban poor do not have enough eggs or chicken to improve their diets. A well-targeted programme to increase the number of chickens nationally would have far-reaching implications in ensuring that more children from poor households eat the occasional egg or chicken to supplement their maize meal and sukuma wiki diets. In the past, the children of the rural poor performed better in school than their urban counterparts partly because they had enough to eat,

Healthier

thanks to subsistence farming of food crops like maize, beans and potatoes and availability of traditional vegetables with high nutrients, like managu. Expansive forest cover in many rural areas also ensured that the boys who went to herd and the girls who went to look for firewood could supplement their diets with wild fruits like raspberries and gooseberries or game meat like birds and small herbivores. These natural resources ensured that for a generation or two, children from poor rural families were not disadvantaged by either hunger or malnutrition. And they performed well in national exams. However, with the shrinking forest cover, this advantage has been wiped out because as the forests disappeared so did the wild fruits and small game. And because of social stigma, the consumption of traditional vegetables has declined among both the urban and rural poor, denying them a vital and easily available source of iron and other minerals vital to both mental and physical development. As this was happening, the government made it mandatory for processed maize flour and sugar to be fortified with minerals as part of a cam-

Supplement diet

Quote of the month

When leading, be generous with the community, honorable in action, sincere in your words. Jack Kornfield
A publication of Shining Hope for Communities
Calvince Ochieng Designer Paul Owino Illustration Photo editor Boniface Mutie Peter Ombedha

paign to boost child health. Ironically, such foods are more expensive than their unprocessed versions, meaning that the poor will not afford them consistently, if at all. This puts the children of rich and middle class families at an advantage because their parents can afford such foods most, if not all the time. And because these children attend better schools with smaller class sizes, they have a head start even before they can say: We are quite well, thank you teacher. In a country where 46 per cent of the population lives in poverty, something radical needs to be done to ensure that children from poor households will have a decent chance of overcoming poverty in their youth or adulthood. Quality food in sufficient amounts is a key plank if this goal is to be achieved. It is well that the government has pledged to put a million acres under irrigation to ensure food sufficiency, but it would be equally important to empower poor families to become self-sufficient, not just in the supply of carbohydrates, but also vitamins and proteins. It is the best thing to do to secure their childrens future.

Better Schools

Line Editor

KIBERA TEAM: Godwin Oyindo, George Sakwa, Abuto Rashid, David Otieno, Nicodemus Odalo, Mary Otieno, Sheila Kavuzi, Adan Ibrahim, `Esther Maleya, Vincent Oreje, Abdul Kassim MATHARE TEAM: Dennis Onyango, Geofrey Mimas, Irene Adhiambo, Maurice Adienge, Berryl Okello, Joseph Ochieng, Crispine Oginga, Gladys Akoth, Juma Onesmus, Mercy Aymah

Want news as it

HAPPENS?
@GMirrorKenya
Ghetto Mirror Kenya
Or follow us via mail on http://ghettomirrorkenya.wordpress.com

Technical assistance
Dan Whipple & Kathleen Bogan

E-mail: ghettomirrornews@gmail.com

OCTOBER 2013: ISSUE 9

The crackdown of Al-Shabab in Majengo Slum

By Peter Ombedha
Unknown number of youths were arrested in early October in Majengo slum in Eastleigh as part of the efforts to track the attackers who killed shoppers at the Westgate Mall in Nairobi. Officers from Anti-Terrorism Police Unit drove their lorries into the slum for the operation. The police said they were pursuing leads on some wanted people. We are looking for serious leads into this incident. It is a serious web that needs time and patience to crack, said one investigator. Some of the attackers spotted at the mall were said to be youths from Majengo area. Some claim the area is a major breeding ground for terrorism in the country. On 21 September, Al Shabaab gunmen attacked the Westgate Mall in Nairobis Westlands area. At least 72 people died, and another 200 are reported wounded. The Kenya police and security forces have been looking for people potentially involved in the attack. According to both analysts and the United Nations, the Kenyan organization Al Hijra is the movements chief recruiter of young youths in the country. It operates through a network of preachers based in Eastleighs Majengo slum, where it also raises funds for the movement. Several reports have mentioned that mosques in the area were used to recruit youths into terrorism and Somalias Al-Shabaab gang. Joblessness, poverty and lack of opportunity are common across Nairobis slums. But what makes the Somali community so vulnerable, say young Somalis in Eastleigh, is the mix of increasingly austere forms of Islam and a sense of alienation from wider Kenyan society. There are no jobs here. Maybe if you go to fight, youll get Ksh 25,000 a month salary, said Ramadan Mohammed, a 22-year-old law student from Eastleigh. Here, you get nothing. What I know is that the Kenyan government is harassing the Muslim community, the Somali people. Without education and employment people think of other ways to survive and joining extremists is one way. When they see what the other options are, they start to think of Al Shabaab, he added. Al Hijras Twitter account fre-

Ghetto Mirror

quently calls on Kenyan youth to fight jihad in Somalia and the region, and makes clear its support for both Al Qaeda and Al Shabaab. But the presence of foreign troops on Somali soil isnt the only driving factor behind high recruitment rates in Kenya. Those who join are smuggled over the border to Al Shabaab training camps. Recently, the UN warned that Al Shabaabs Kenyan fighters could return to carry out attacks at home.

A Woman who is specialized as shoe maker

Magdalene Mwendwa repairing shoes in her working place along Makina road near DCs area during her interview with the Mirror reporter, she has managed to train three women who were inspired by her humble work in 2006. Photo: Nicodemus Odhiambo
By Nicodemus Odalo
What men can do, women can do better situation has been going unmentioned in Kibera for the last 14 years. A family where the mother is a specialized shoe maker while her husband popularly known as baba mboga. Magdalene Mwendwa, 38, is the only woman involved in shoe making business in Kibera. She started this business in 1999 at Ngumo estate near Kenyatta Market. I was introduced into this business by my husband. But I knew everything through training by my husbands friend. She says. Magdalene is a mother of three children. Her son knows how to repair shoes and handbags. She became a point of attention in the year 2000 when many of her friends and family members accused her of being ignorant ing job, she has inspired many women in Kibera, Kawangware and other visitors who visit the environs of Kibera, they get so much encouraged by her. From the year 2006 up to now, Magdalene has been training women to repair shoes, handbags and leather items. She managed to train three women who were inspired by her humble work in 2006. The three, today, own their workshops in Ukambani where they operate and the job is their daily income. By the time she became a shoe maker, she struggled so much with her younger daughter who was only one year old by then, I was being chased after all the time by the city council officers at my working place due to lack of license. she remembers. Magdalene can earn between Ksh. 200 to 500 per day depending on how the business is according to weather Business is good during raining season and thats when I get a lot of work to do. When it rains, a lot of shoes get spoilt when they touch water, added Magdalene. Her workmate, Mohamed Juma who has lived in Kibera since 1977 and has been working with Magdalene since 1999 describes Magdalene as a woman who has a heart of gold among many people he has worked with She works very hard like a man and always keeps time and I get so much inspired by the hard work that Magdalene does, describes

juma, the experienced shoe maker. We divide our daily income with Magdalene without any problems or without saying that I own the workshop or trained her. Juma also says. Being the only woman repairing shoes in Kibera is giving me a very busy and challenging day because a lot of people bring dirty shoes or sandals then expect me to wash them before repairing, complains the mother of three. As Magdalene continues sharing the down side of the job, saying it is a hard job because a lot of women take it as a job that belongs to men. If you are not patient, you will never stay on to do the job. Sometimes you will have moody customers who will make noise for late deliverances. Magdalenes husband, Simon Mwendwa is not an idle man either; he is as ironical as his wife, a vegetable vender at Toi Market. Mwendwa describes her wife Magdalene as faithful. Maggi is a hardworking woman and easy to understand in every situation we pass through with the support of our three children. He says to the writer. Their son is the first born, and is in form one. He knows how to repair shoes and handbags and usually helps his mother every weekend in the afternoon in the business. The other two; a form one and a KCPE candidate, help their father to count the days shake at Toi market. The number of unemployment in Kenya has been increasing every year for the past 50 years from promises to promises that has been made in all the transition presidencies since early 80s and Magdalene believes that leaders will give young people promises that they cannot fulfill. This has been a bigger challenge to Kenyan leaders as well as slum opinion leaders.

Kamanda wants higher CDF allocation

By Mirror reporter
Starehe MP Maina Kamanda CDF allocations increased. Speaking at Park Road Primary School during a prize giving ceremony earlier this month, the MP said there is too much poverty in Nairobi slums. People associate tall buildings in Nairobi with wealth but there are many slums in Starehe whose poverty levels are worrying, he said. Kamanda said Sh62 million allocated to the constituency this financial year is insufficient when slums like Mathare, Mukuru Kayaba and Mariguini are considered. As leaders from Nairobi we shall wants

fight for a higher CDF allocation because there are many problems and greater challenges of poverty in the capital, he said. Starehe constituency is not just Nairobis Central Business District. The MP challenged the teachers to also consider the county allocation to implement development projects because the CDF cannot solve all problems in the constituencies. He expressed his dismay with the management of Bursary funds in Starehe during the time he was out of parliament, noting that it was not transparent. The management of Bursary must be transparent. I will ensure it is even it means picking the beneficiaries through the ballot, he said.

Facts
1999: The year Magdalene started repairing shoes. -She is the only women making a living out of this in Kibera. -Makes between 200 to 500/= on an avarage day. 2000: Her friends tried to demorolise her but she gave a cold shoulder. 2006: to date: She has managed to train three women to repair shoes, make handbags and leather items.

They say this job belongs only to men who are jobless . and is job. Says Magdalene, she They believed that Magdalene was well educated to get a betstopped her educater job than the shoe making. tion form four. Since at she started her shoes repair-

Ghetto Mirror

OCTOBER 2013: ISSUE 9

Pic Speak

NOTICE: To all Kibera residents living in Kianda Village, you are being asked not to turned this door belonging to owner a dupmsite, the notice is writen by town clack. Photo: Peter Ombedha A little known Soweto dam at Soweto slum in Githurai serves as the residents water source for thier livestock, the residents also use the water for irrigation among of the planted crops as well as for bathing.
Photo: Peter Ombedha

An art drawn by Bankslave to depectict the typical live of Kibera residents. The train is not only common to residents because it is cheap but also is the most convenient mode of transport.

Photo: Peter Ombedha

MADNESS: They says each market has its own mad man, after discovering that shoes soles are also good as firewood as they provide an effective fuel that lasts longer than firewood the business man not considering the health havoc caused by the smoke emmanated from these soles decied to sell them to Kibera residents at Kamkunji grounds
Photo: Peter Ombedha

CALL IT ALBINOZ STYLE: Many people may think this guys are figting for food eather water because those are the good things to fight for, but non of them crew fighting for they are fighting for micriphone. What do you think the guy woring a white T-shirt saying about them? (GINI WASEKAO) Photo: Adan Ibrahim

FASHION COP: I like your style, my grandfather use to tell me that he use to wore the same style you wore in 1912 when Kenya was still under the British government. Infact if am not wrong your grandfather fight for Indepentents if he wore this Download free QR reader from interclothes youthe are net and scan this code with your smart woring now phone for constant photos, news and

Photo: Adan Ibrahim vdeos from the informal settlements

OCTOBER 2013: ISSUE 9

My

In this column, the Ghetto Mirror brings you details about the ghettos of Nairobi, one ghetto at a time. This month it is Mugumoini. If you want us to come to your hood, just send us an email, ghettomirrornews@gmail.com
moini to supply electricity to the residents. The areas drainage systems too is poor as the ditches used to drain the water pass just in front of the houses with the water remaining stagnant at some points. The favorite chill spot in the area is the Langata Tegemeo Group for boys though the girls havent been constructed any for. Residents also say that their favourite television station is Citizen TV. With residents liking football as their favourite sporting activity and the most followed sporting activity amongst the children and adults. Favourite shopping centres are the Langata Shopping Mall and the Uchimu Hyper along Langata road in Wilson airport. Ngei Primary School and Langata High School house most of the residents children as they are the only government school around and offer cheap education compared to the private schools around. Children here luck playing grounds and have to put up with the conditions, girls of the same age play their favourite games in the available spaces just to pass the days as well as the boys too. Housing structures in Mugumoini just like other slums mostly have iron sheets as walls or made of mud.

HOOD

Ghetto Mirror 5 In breif Slum gangs

Luck of jobs in the slums has led the youths into criminal acts and are terorising the communities in the slums and hence hindering development to take place. Investers fear investing here due to the high number of thugs in the slums. On October 23 a group of armed gungs along the Langata Highway wanted to highjack a car along the southern bypass that is under construction but failed since the police had a prior information about them. Fire exchange was witnessed between the police and the gangsas they ran to hide in Kibera slums through Ngeno Estate. The heavily armed gang successfully got their way into the slums though two of them were unlucky as the police had killed them. but the police couldnt dare follow them. They too had seemed afraid for their lives and couldnt move a step into the slum. The incident had taken place at 10PM. In similar event residents of Lindi vilage were terrorised by another different gang the whole on Friday 25, the police were called upon but never showed up only to appear the next morning at around 7AM. Even though they had shown up late they managed to arrest two them with one have a pistol, but in a disappointing turn of events they managed to escape with handicuffs but in different directions. One ran in a plot that had no through way an was shot six times while the other managed to escape successfully. The boys are said not be Kibera resients but have masterplanners who give them shelter and organise the criminal activities they partake. The master planners are said to be Kibera residents, the shot boy is believed to come from Mathare slums.

By Adan Ibrahim

A woman walking on the street of Mugumoini, the slum is estimated to be hosting close to 20,000 people with the largest population going to children with 15,000 and women 5,000.
Photo: Peter Ombedha

By Paul Owino
Mugumoini is a calm and collected slum that has most of its residents boasting of an improved security unlike every other slum in Nairobi. As you walk across the slum every household are locked in their own houses continuing with their businesses as usual, some play music as others watch televisions to pass time. Most of the people found in their houses are mostly women who wholly depend on their husbands salary to take care of their families.

It is Sunday afternoon but very few houses have the men in. It is however not very clear whether the other households the men have gone to work or are just out enjoying themselves with friends or have gone visiting their other relatives. The slum located in Langata along the Kitengela road northwest of Kibera slum houses close to over 20000 residents with the largest population being children who are according to a report released by a blogger the children are 15000 and adults 5000 but youths not accounted for.

Dandora street urchins surrender guns

By Mirror Correspondent
Police on October 11th received two firearms and a range of crude weapons barely two days after rivals groups engaged in fierce gunfights at the controversial of Dandora dumpsite. The gangs surrendered a Ceska pistol and a semi-automatic American Colt and two bullets to the police. Starehe divisional police boss Samuel Anampiu welcomed the move while urging more youths to surrender any weapon in their possession. The street boys have surrendered two firearms, two bullets, two pangas and daggers. This is a good gesture but we must also ensure nobody has illegal weapons in their possession, he said. We will not relent in the war against crime, he added. Even after their willful surrender of weapons, police are still conducting operations to recover illegal arms in their possession, he stated. Nairobi Senator Gideon Mbuvi rewarded the group Sh50,000 for giving up the illegal weapons. Area residents have raised concern over the continued daylight public shootout between two gangs operating in the area fighting for control of the lucrative garbage site. Early this week, gun wielding rival goons staged a protracted bloody battle that resulted in one fatality and multiple injuries. The event occurred when vigilante groups from informal sectors of Korogocho engaged their opponents from Dandora for hours. Anampiu says that police are already investigating individuals suspected to be illegal firearm handlers in the area. Last month, another wanted gangster surrendered to the police and handed over an illegal gun in his possession.

Reaching the slum takes one at least a ride of not more than 20 minutes using Langata road on those days that there is no traffic jam, one boards a matatu, route number 14 or 15. As a feature of other slums Mugumoini lucks basic social amenities like electricity, piped water and toilets. It is stated that there are close to 24 households paying for toilets. Electricity in the area is also distributed to residents by cartels who offer cheap electricity to them. Thin coated copper wires run across all most of the houses in Mugu-

The total population of Mugumoini

20,000

A report released on August 30 by the National Crime Research Centre shows that there are 46 criminal gangs in the country with eight operating within Nairobi.

The report shows that the majority of these groups at 50.2 percent engage in illicit drug trafficking while 34.4 percent engage in extortion of money and related activities. Police were accused of colluding with some members of these illegal groups while some allegedly ignore useful information from the public that may help them stop their illegal activities. Speaking when he launched the report, Attorney General Githu Muigai said the government was aware of the immense security challenges posed by the groups. He said relevant policies will

Police officers during a gun fight between Police and a gang who was killed in Undugu, arearesidents of Kibera watch in disbelief as the slain gangster body is loaded. Photo: Peter Ombedha
be put to reverse the current situation. He has also warned members of the public against relating with the groups or offering any support, saying they derail development of the country. It is a criminal offence to offer any support to any of these organised criminal gangs, he warned. In response to the worrying situation, the Attorney General said: The government will

The total amount in shillings offered for a a surrenered gun by the Nairbi Senetor. Hon. Mike Mbuvi.

50,000

use such studies to help stop this. He noted the criminal gangs were revolving in unprecedented ways which give the security agencies great challenge. Dandora is profiled as one of the security hotspots in Nairobi, and is also listed as having been heavily infested by criminal gangs involved in drug trafficking and kidnapping according to the report.

Ghetto Mirror 6 Thousands of Nairobi slum dwellers face eviction over new roads Private
From Page 1
claims to own some or part of the land, proceeded to use hammers, crowbars, and machetes to demolish most of the homes in the settlement, reads the report. It adds that a week later, on May 17, at least 100 men returned to the slum to demolish the remaining houses and fence off the area, these men were accompanied by 170 police officers who used tear gas and live ammunition during the demolition. Talking to Mirror reporters, Jennifer Mugambi, an affected resident, says that there was also looting of personal property and beating up of residents during the exercise. Pregnant women and children were also pulled out of their houses, beaten and left outside in the cold. It happened during the rainy season. Anything valuable was also taken from us, said Mugambi, who has resided in the area for over 53 years. The slum, near Wilson Airport, hosted over 400 families. According to the report, those with nowhere to go have been forced to live along a dirty track beside the demolished shelters constructed using bamboo and cardboard. Lacking access to adequate water and sanitation facilities, the forcibly evicted families are living in extremely precarious circumstances that pose serious risks to their health and safety, revealed the report. At Deep Sea in Westlands, up to 3,000 people face eviction in the coming months as the Kenya Urban Roads Authority (KURA) plans to construct a major road through the settlement with money funded by European Union. Deep Sea residents first learned of the road in 2009. KURA subsequently assured them that they would be consulted and kept informed about construction and possibilities for resettlement, says Amnesty. However, there has been little meaningful engagement. The residents had been pecially those infected with HIV as the smallest exposure to infections could prove fatal. The risks of rape and sexual violence are increased with the lack of a secure home. The use of excessive force during evictions goes against the United Nations (UN) basic principles to human rights, she explained. Barasa raised concerns over education within the slum saying; A large number of students are forced to drop out of school when their families are displaced or their schools demolished. She asked the government to adopt a moratorium on mass evictions until a law to deal with them is put in place. They further asked that Kenya being a part of the UN membership ought to uphold the guidelines on evictions that stipulate that all those evicted should be compensated for their losses. Cabinet Secretary for Lands Housing and Urban Development Charity Ngilu addressed the women promising to have the law fast-tracked so as to solve the problems faced by the women promptly. I have noted the issues raised and I will hasten the legislation of the Eviction and Resettlement Bill at the Attorney Generals so that there can be a guideline to the evictions. A notice and alternative settlement area will be provided for all those who are required to vacate the land they are living on. Ngilu also noted that the slum development housing units are almost done and soon the slum dwellers will move into the houses. The slum rehabilitation project is almost done and we will soon start moving slum settlers in. This is a means of providing decent and affordable living for all the citizens. She added. The government says that some people are living on road reserves and as they try to improve the countrys road network, there is need to redeem the land.

OCTOBER 2013: ISSUE 9

land owners sued

from page1

HOMELESS: An elderly woman curries her belonging inside the yellow polythene bag after the last eviction of Mukuru Kwa Ruben where more than 400 families were forcibly evicted from their homes
Photo: Peter Ombedha

informed about the impending eviction but they have no information on when the road constructions will start and if resettlement options may be offered to them. The absence of adequate information and meaningful engagement to date on the part of KURA has increased anxiety and uncertainty for the residents, reads part of the report. The demolition of the Deep Sea settlement is expected to occur sometime in November. An email sent to KURA by the Mirror asking about their plans has not been answered. Residents are now blaming their elected leaders for using them as cross bridged, saying that their leaders only come to them when they need votes. Viongozi wakishapata chenye wanataka, tunabaki na shida zetu. Wengine wanaona wamepata mahali pa kuweka biashara zao. (After the leaders get what they want we become irrelevant to them. They see the little land we have as a space to put up their businesses), said Angaya amidst cheers from the crowd.

Kenya AI campaigner Naomi Barasa said the country being a signatory to the International Covenant on Economics, Social and Cultural Rights should adhere to due process when any eviction is being done. She said the covenant clearly states that an eviction must be carried out as the last resort and compensation should be offered. Amnesty found that the demolition of the City Carton homes had no legal basis, and that the police failed in their duty to stop the eviction or protect the residents. It has called on the Kenyan government to put an immediate end to mass evictions until the necessary legal safeguards are put in place to protect slum dwellers rights. Many are at risk of forced evictions which not only often make people homeless, but also involve violence and cut families off from basic services such as water, education, healthcare and sanitation. Forced evictions devastate lives and need to be outlawed, Amnesty International Ireland executive

director Colm OGorman said. October 10th, Women from Mukuru Kwa Reuben and Mukuru Kwa Njenga held a demonstration at the Land Ministry where they called for the immediate end to ongoing demolitions. According to Naomi Barasa, one of the organizers of the demonstration, said that the demolitions are unfair as the slum dwellers are not given alternatives. Forced evictions result in loss of property leaving people without a means of livelihood. People living in the informal settlements contribute to majority of the countrys labor in the industries yet they are the least taken care of. She explained that women and children are exposed to dangers when they are thrown out of their homes in the middle of the night. Barasa adds that those evicted are living in deplorable situations which risk their lives as they are exposed to health hazards. Forced evictions cause unnecessary health hazards es-

Food leftovers turned to cheap source of fuel

By David Otieno
Beatrice Wanjiku, a 34year-old-lady from Korogocho slums, is running a business that makes fuel from food leftovers. Beatrice, a graduate of Nairobi University, makes good money from her innovative fuel making idea. After my graduation, I search for job for about five years and unfortunately didnt land on any, said Wanjiku, a mother of five. Since I am the sole breadwinner of my family, I never gave up on struggle to get food to table. I thought of starting my own business, by making cheapest cooking fuel from food leftovers, in which I was to be my own boss to free myself from the stress of searching job, she said. She added, smiling, At first it was very difficult especially in searching the raw material for example leftovers of ugali, fish bones or beef bones. Mrs. Wanjiku said her new business idea is unique, and that before she started it, nobody, including the neighbors with whom she first shared the idea, believed it would work. Before starting I used to ask my neighbors to keep me the leftovers, which I walked from door to door to collect, she said. The leftovers of food that Mrs. Wanjiku collected from her neighbors were mainly ugali, kales, bones from fish and those from meat. She worked alone for some months. When the business grew, she decided to form a group with like-minded individuals to help her push her dream to the next level. Currently I have a group of 36 members working with me. Weve been working together as a team where each one of us has a role to play, said Wanjiku. During the interview with Ghetto Mirror Mrs. Wanjiku explained that her business puts in orders for food leftovers to hotels and they keep the raw materials for her to use at a fee. After buying the raw materials, Mrs. Wanjiku and her associates dry the food in the sun, and then mix them thoroughly before placing them into a grinding machine. What emerges is a substance that is powdery and soft like flour, she explained as she touched it. We then sprinkle little water on the flour, and then use these small containers to come up with the required shape. The containers act like molds and the moistened flour hardens into a shape that can be removed from the containers, and burned for fuel. We sell one solid fuel for Ksh 5 and per day we can sell as many as 3,000 solids. We normally distribute our products to slum residents, some hotels in town, Kenyatta market just to mention a few, she said. Jacinta Kavuzi, a longtime member and also employee of Jitegemee Kenya Association, said the newly innovated cooking fuel idea is not only cheap but effective. To me I prefer these types of fuel to charcoal since they are affordable for both the rich and poor, Kavuzi said. I personally must admit that I have benefited a lot ever since I joined this group and to be sincere my life has changed. Mr. Mark Karanja and Mrs. Milka Wandeti, all customers of Jitegemee Association, also gave positive comment on the productspraising their quality and price. To me, this type of fuel is actually the best, they really cook well and very fast as compared to charcoal or paraffin, Milka added.

Some of the product s they sale during a day time when there are no more costumers. Photo Peter Ombedha
As always, the business faces challenges. According to Mrs. Wanjiku the founder and now C.E.O. of the Jitegemee Kenya Association, their greatest challenge is water. As a parting shot to fellow youths and any other unemployed person out there, I just wish to challenge them to always be big-hearted instead of giving up so easily, she said. I believe there are several opportunities out here, so fellow youths should not just sit and wait for government to intervene when they are jobless, even if you have degree or diploma papers you should not sit in the name of waiting for job, Mrs. Wanjiku said as she served one of her customers. Finally I am glad that the little idea I had borne fruit and we are now helping a number of families who are now employed and working as Jitegemee Kenya Association, she says.

Despite new legislation Kenyas slum dwellers continue to be forced out of their homes; Mukurus residents worry that they could be made to move at any moment. Historically, many land titles in Kenya have been acquired through corrupt means. It will take a sizeable shift in political will to undo the profiteering of the past. The culprits are people highly connected to the system, which means we expect some level of resistance, says Otieno Namwaya, Kenya researcher at Human Rights Watch. The Mukuru people have based their case on corruption and they have documents to show ownership changed hands over the years, Namwaya says. Moseti works part-time as a house help, cleaning and washing to pay her 1,000-shilling monthly rent and 300-shilling electricity bill. She rarely ventures out of her home a one-bedroom shack in a small compound which she shares with 10 others. Sitting on her bed in her home, Moseti says she is optimistic about the lawsuit, despite knowing that the companies she is challenging are politically connected. What we want is not what the government or the companies want, she says. So all this must be brought together and we must come up with one agreement. It will take some time. Moseti has collected about 8,000 signatures from female slum residents on a petition. They all agree to testify before the National Lands Commission about land inadequacy and hardships of life without adequate sanitation in Mukuru, she says. Weve had cases where an individual or five people have come together and said: We want to sue these people for a specific portion of land. But in this case its the whole settlement, which is 450 acres, says Edith Kalela, advocacy officer at Akiba Mashinani Trust a Kenyan NGO that supports slum upgrading. So it will be a first in history, she adds. Kenyan governments have repeatedly come under fire for failing to improve slum dwellers access to sanitation, and lessen sexual violence in slums, despite promising to do more. Many in domestic civil society groups are optimistic that Mukuru residents will wage a successful campaign to reclaim their land, mostly because of the perceived power of new legislation. The new constitution and National Land Policy forbid eviction of any person from current home without being given an alternative abode, says Peter Ngau, director of the centre for urban research and innovations at the University of Nairobi. The formation of Kenyas land commission and the passing of the countrys new constitution in 2010 are seen as progressive steps towards wide-range reforms that supporters say will reshape how the government views Kenyas poorest citizens.

OCTOBER 2013: ISSUE 9

Ghetto Mirror
Depudy President William Ruto (right) and Nubian Council of Elders Chairman Abdul Faraj Issa when he visited Makina Mosque June 20111 in Kibera
Photo: Countecy

Nubians to wait longer for title deeds

By Mirror reporter
President Uhuru Kenyatta was expected to issue out title deeds to the Nubian community in Kibera on 19th of October. The Nubian community was not issued with a communal title deed following the Governor Evans Kideros advised to President Uhuru Kenyatta against it. The preparations for the ceremony were in high gear. A dais had even been erected on the area DCs compound in readiness for the function, Makina ward ex-councilor Mohammed Gore earlier morning said Uhuru will give title deeds for 288 acres in Kibera but the President was nowhere to be seen leaving members of the community baffled. It is true that Nubians belong there but issuing them with a communal title deed will alienate other communities who also deserve titles in their own right. We felt that this would not be good for cohesion, the governor said in a news article on Nairobi news. He convinced the President that giving the Nubians 288 acres of land would isolate other communities who, like them, know Kibera as their only home. According to Gore the title deeds were to cover Makina, Kambi Muru, Mashimoni and Lindi area while the government will remain with 250 acres for the slum upgrading programme and other public utilities in Katwekera, Laini Saba and Soweto East where the project is ongoing. Furthermore Kidero said that he discussed the matter with

Uhuru at State House last Saturday on 19th, before he was supposed to issue the title at Kibera. It is ok to give titles to these people but wider consultations need to be done to factor in other communities in the programme. You rush the matter and it backfires, I made this clear to the President, said the governor.

Shock as man kills wife over 50/=

By Mirror reporter
A man surrendered to police on October 22nd Sunday night after beheading his wife in Kawangware, Nairobi over a Sh50 dispute. The man in his mid 30s told police he had killed wife after she failed to give him back his Sh50, in an incident that left Kawangware residents shocked. We are holding him over the murder which he has confessed, a senior police officer at the Kilimani police station said, adding the man took officers to his house where the body was found. According to police, the incident occurred at Gatina area and was reported at the Muthangari police station. A report filed at the station states that the couple had been quarrelling over Sh50 when the man grabbed a kitchen knife and butchered the wife, cutting off her intestines. We have recovered the knife used in the killing and it is one of the evidence to be produced in court once the man is arraigned, the officer said.

-288: The total number tile deeds that were to be offeredt o the Nubian community. -250 acres: The total land coverage for slum upgrading by the government. -162 acres:Construction of social ammenities.

Hope and Joy; a slum support group makes life better

By Calvince Ochieng
Two hundred people living with HIV/AIDS in Mukuru Kayaba location have decided to spread the gospel. Hope And Joy support group in the overpopulated slum has choses not to spread the virus, but to take part in finding solutions in the fight against it. Hope And Joy support group is a group of people living with HIV/AIDS, who come together to unite and share their common dailly encounters with the virus. Members may also include others, like family members who are impacted by the virus, though they are not infected themselves. Everyone is taught the skills for positive living. The group takes care of the economic needs of the members, which involves making crafts as a source of income. Visitors and well wishers buy their crafted products to support them. Kananza Nancy is the founder and leader of Hope And Joy. She is HIV positive and a mother of three. According to Nancy, the support groups offers services on prevention, signs and symptoms, and drug adherence. They also do referrals. 11 members of Hope And Joy have died because as a support group, we cant provide everything. Yet drugs will eat you if you dont eat well, she confirms. Many households in the slums live on less than a dollar a day. This makes it tricky to sur-

Families Left Homeless after Mathare Slum Fire

By Mirror reporter
Hundreds of families were left homeless and goods of unknown value destroyed in a fire in Mathare slum. According to Patrick Lumumba, who is also a pastor in the area says over 150 houses was razed in the informal settlement of Mathare. Lumumba says one woman was injured and was taken to the Kenyatta National Hospital. He however blamed the Nairobi County fire brigade for not showing up to contain the fire. The County Council has really disappointed us because we had to try rescue victims and salvage what remained from the fire ourselves hoping that in due time, they will show up but all in vain, he said. He asked the Nairobi County Government to put up a fire station on Thika Road in order to help contain such incidents on time. It is now necessary to put one fire station on this road because if they were near, they could have salvaged more goods and help put out the fire, he said.

Community Health Workers from Mukuru Fuata Nyayo during a launch of their group taught the residents on how to take care of their health. Photo: Peter Ombedha.
vive when one is on medication, especially for those families where the breadwinner is the infecson. Nancy believes that living with HIV is a journey. In this journey, denial is the worst decision to make. Couples are advised to disclose their HIV status to their partners. I always tell people to use condoms for protection. As for me, my hands are my husbands because I am just doing my jobs to take care of my kids, Nancy says. Just like many other people living with AIDS, Nancy found it very hard to disclose her status to her kids. When I told them, I thought that they would tell on me. But to mu surprise, they have been very supportive. With the help of GOLA Kenya, a humanitarian organisation, good number of the Kayaba community health workers have benefited from training . Speaking to the Mirror, in a community health worker event organised by public health in partnership with GOAL kenya, area senior Chief Mr. Abdiwahad Ahmed called for more education on HIV/AIDS. He called it a unique disease. Apart from educating people, we should regulate marriages by reducing traditional marriages and encourage the legal marriages, he said. The chief also urges slum residents to own government policies saying that the government officials and other partners are just service providers. All the donors will go at the end of their projects but will we will remain here with our usual challenges, he said. The chiefs office is the cornerstone for fight against HIV/AIDS in the area , having formed several units of around 50 people. The units are our ambasadors, the reliable information source for us in the bigger committee Mukuru Kayaba is one of the most densely populated slums. It borders South B Estates, which is also a region where many colleges like RTI, KIMC, Kenya Water Institute, Kenya Polytechnic and many other college hostelsare located.

GENDER BASED VIOLENCE

ST

SHOFCO GENDER DEPARTMENT 0703-445 737

Rescue centre Psychosocial support service Medical assistance Referrals Link to legal assistance

Ghetto Mirror

Slum talent goes beyond

By George Sakwa
Slum life is only known for bad things. Despite this, there are many talents and achievements that have come out from the slums. This is evident with the success of Lucy Achieng and maurene Awino just to mention a few. The two ladies, both students at Kibera Girl Soccer Academy from Kibera are among the national football Under 17 girl category in the country. To them, their success has been achieved because of the support they are getting from Their school- Kibera Girl Soccer academy- which provides them with every support that they would require ranging from personal effects to training equipments. I am very proud of tyhe school because they are like our mentors. When i need anything that a girl would need, then i will get it from the school. Said Maurene Atieno. Furthemore, they pay for my education as i learn in the school free of charge. Abdul Kassim, the Founder & Executive Director of the Kibera Girls Soccer Academy, initially created a girl soccer team in 2002 as a way to get teenage women off of the streets and engaged them in something productive. It wasnt long until he realized that a soccer team was not enough to combat the problems of street life. He knew he needed to establish a school, as education was the only way to make a lasting change. Never did he knew that his initiative would provide for the national team players- which has come true by the inclusion of Lucy and Maurene who will join the national football under 20 by next year. I only hope that things goes right and more ladies and men from the slum represent our country. Said Lucy who plays in the midfield position. There are many talents from the slum. Look at the premier league, most of the players are from the slums. She added. Not only the two of us from Kibera represented kenya during the Airtel rising stars competition in Nigeria, but there were also some ladies from Olympic high school, our neighbour school. Said Maurene, the teams goalkeeper. During the competition, Kenya finished runners up to Kililmanjaro stars form Tanzania. They lost 1-0 to the winners. If measures are taken, we will have a strong team in the future. When we in Nigeria, we were very proud of our country eventhough we are looked douwn upon since we are from the slums. The local teams should encourage young girls to join thei teams. They should develop talent but reap talent from the other teams. The governmemnt has been urged to take the correct measures for the national ladies team. It was very sad when we were to represent the country in the nationals under 17 in Guinea. Unfortunately, we did not go. There was no communication from the leaders and management to explain why we could not go. Lamented Maurene. I only ask our government through the ministry of sports,
P 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

OCTOBER 2013: ISSUE 9

STANDINGS
KIBRA LEAGUE
Boys under 8
TEAM Uweza Academy Marren GYFF Kibera Egan K. Mighty Lions More Fire K S Academy Brothers Otada P 15 15 15 16 15 16 15 15 16 W 10 9 7 6 5 5 4 2 0 D 4 1 6 7 5 4 4 5 6 L 1 5 2 3 5 7 7 8 10 PTS 34 28 27 25 20 19 16 11 6

Boys under 11
P 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 TEAM Uweza Academy C Ambassadors Brothers More Fire Tiger Stars Red Planet GYFF Kibera Egan K. S. Academy Marren Magic 90 K. Mighty Lions Caro Foundation KIMMTA P 24 23 24 23 24 23 24 23 23 22 24 24 23 23 W 21 20 10 10 9 9 8 8 8 6 6 5 4 4 D 3 2 5 5 6 5 7 7 5 8 6 7 3 2 L 0 1 9 8 9 9 9 8 10 8 12 12 16 17 PTS 66 62 35 35 33 32 31 31 29 26 24 22 15 14

Jessica of Girl Soccer (in yellow) during their previors match, the team clinched Orange tournament which was sponsored by Orange to the tune of Kshs. 15 million. Photo Countecy
the kenya Football Federation and other stakeholders to take girls football as important as the men football. By doing this,

many peaple will be encouraged to participate in soccer in the country. She concluded.

Shama Rugby Foundation takes the rugby to Kibera, Mathare slums

and 15 an opportunity to play the game, but also to fit into society by encouraging them to channel their energies towards positive development in their communities, he told the Mirror. The businessman fell in love with rugby during his school days in Scotland. So far we have had a trip last year for less than 14 where they travelled to Cape Town, South Africa, for a small tour, he said. And they managed to play friendly matches against two South African schools where they lost one match and won one match and the experience has really given the children the morale to play Rugby, he added. Free interaction with class teachers and parents has greatly enhanced the childrens self-esteem, sense of teamwork and responsibility, with a marked improvement in overall performance in school, Azim said. For many years now, rugby has been regarded as a sport for the rich. But it is slowly gaining popularity among the middle class and the poor, thanks in part to SRF. Benson Salem is the under 14 captain from Kianda village, Kibera. I really like this game. We played a nice game in South Africa, only that the opponents were much bigger and stronger than us, but we did our best, he said. nI am happy my family supports me so much. When I grow up, I want to play in the Kenya National Team as a fullback, says Benson. His role model is William Ambaka from Kenya Harlequins. Azim, who is one of three trustees running SRF with his son Nadim and former KRU Chairman Richard Omwela, says the foundation gives the children opportunity to play rugby and develop life skills including discipline, teamwork, communication, integrity and respect. According to Omwela, there has been positive feedback from one of the school headmasters who observed that some of the boys who play rugby are concentrating more in class. will play on the national team. Through rugby, we motivate these children to be role models in their communities and work hard at school, says Coach Eric Situma. Coach Situma said, I go to different schools as a Rugby Coach to train and also bring the children together to Harlequins grounds every Sunday afternoons. The project hopes to expand the clinics to areas such as Kawangware and Kangemi. They also want to introduce the game as a full-time sport to at least 30 government schools in Nairobi with the help of the Sports ministry and Kenya Rugby Union. By 2015, the project hopes to expand the primary school programme to at least 100 public schools within Nairobi. We will help to fund and implement, together with the Government and KRU, a compulsory rugby programme for all schools in Nairobi, said Nadim. The Kenya Rugby Union had since July 2002 run a mini rugby programme that comprised weekly training sessions every Sunday afternoon. Subsequent tournaments every so often but the programmed began to lose momentum early 2011, despite the passion the children showed for the game. As a result many of the children subsequently lost rugby benefits that accrued.

participation opportunities and The Shamas Rugby Foundation is governed by a board of trustees comprising Azim Dean (founder), Richard Omwela (former KRU chairman) and an auditor. The Foundations operations are run by Sportsperson Kenya which is a sports projects management and consultancy service provider. Sportsperson Kenya has set up a project team comprising 8 coaches and numerous volunteers to achieve project goals and objectives. The ultimate goal of the project started in 2012 is to ensure that these children not only grow up to be accomplished rugby players but also gain personal growth and development through participation in sport. The challenges they encounter is the lack of support from the Kenya Rugby Association, lack of boots for trainings, balls, training pitch, tackling bags and financially but they have a well wisher who has tried hard to help them overcome this challenges by the name Azim Deen.

One of the benefiters shows his talent during their trainings at Harlequins grounds
Photo: Adan Ibrahim

By Adan Ibrahim & Abdala Kasin

Over 300 boys and girls from Nairobi slums are benefiting from a youth rugby project, called the Shamas Rugby Foundation (SRF), based in the Kenya

Harlequins grounds. The foundation, formerly run by the Kenya Rugby Union, is currently spearheaded by a businessman Azim Deen, who took over last year. Shamas is not only giving the children between ages five

The significant growth and success at SRF is attributed to eight local coaches from the slums who play rugby for teams in Nairobi. The coaches work with local primary schools and hold weekly training sessions. Every month, the project holds a sevens tournament for the slum children and invite some of the local rugby clubs to bring their teams along. The coaches act as role models for the children; they want them to grow to be strong and play for the local rugby teams just like they (coaches) do, says Omwela. We are certain that one day a child from this project

Completed by Calvince Ochieng

The Ghetto Mirror, is a monthly newspaper published and distributed for free by Shining Hope For Communities as part of its programs aimed at empowering the youth through developing their media skills and also to bring attention to the issues affecting the residents of the informal settlements. All the work that goes into production of this newspaper is done by youth from the slums. Correspondence should be addressed to ghettomirrornews@ gmail.com. You can also visit our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/ghettomirrorkenya for constant news updates, photos and videos . News and advertising: 0727669660.