Kenya Railways Ksh 3.2 billion slum upgrade and Relocation to commence in January

By Nyasani Mbaka

The Kenya Railways is expected to start the Ksh 3.2 billion Kibera-Mukuru slum upgrade programme, funded by the World Bank. The slum upgrade project in Mukuru and Kibera is set to commence in January next year.

The project is a brain child of the Railway Relocation Action Plan (RAP) that was tailored by Muungano wa Wanavijiji, Muungano Support Trust and Akiba Mashinani Trust after the three organizations were given the green light by both World Bank and the Kenya Railways to collect and analyze accurate data on the affected persons, this was based on the Organization's 10 year old expertise in initiating social processes in slum settlements that in most cases paves way for slum upgrading.

The project seeks to improve the safety of the Kenya-Uganda rail line. The RAP process was to assist the Kenya Railways to secure a 60-metre stretch on the railway line. The railine which snakes through the twin slums(Kibera and Mukuru)is expected to displace close to 10,000 families who either reside or operate businesses as a source of livelihood on the reserves.

The families will be accommodated in 3,200 single room units as homes to the affected slum dwellers. The World Bank funded slum upgrade project is a master plan aimed at harmonizing stakeholder efforts to upgrade slums and to ensure that sewerage systems are put in place to ensure correct and hygienic disposal of waste materials in the two populous slums in Nairobi.

This announcement comes a week after Muungano Support Trust had delivered verified individual documents of the Projects Affected Persons that are to be affected by the slum/rail upgrade project.

The works are expected to begin in January 2012.We want to facilitate the use of faster commuter trains to improve the safety of both the railine consumers and that of the slum dwellers”. Said Kenya Railways Managing Director Ndua Muli.