A group of slum dwellers in Kenya have organised a fundraising event to raise US$10 million to purchase 40 acres of land and put up better houses.
The group of slum dwellers in Kenya capital Nairobi known as Arahuka Self-Help Group has invited political bigwigs to the funds drive event scheduled to take place at the KICC on November 19.
The group is made of 500 families from Mathare, Kibera, Fuata Nyayo and Mukuru Kwa Jenga in Nairobi’s South B estate.
Several residents in the slum who are part of the plan lamented that their squalid living conditions were very frustrating.
Several parents complained that they cannot continue sharing rooms with children who are older than 18.
They said their move will offer decent housing for the residents as well as have an opportunity for privacy.
Chairman of the group Julius Njihia said they have managed to raise Sh1.4 million so far through their annual general meetings.
“We are looking for people of goodwill to assist us,” Njihia said during the group’s AGM at the prisons officers’ mess in Lang’ata on Saturday.
Noting most of the members of the group will shift to other counties in search of land, he appealed to locals not to be hostile to them.
“We are all brothers and sisters… we are Kenyans. We ask residents of Kiambu, Kajiado, Machakos and Murang’a counties to welcome us,” he said.
He appealed to county governors to waiver interests once they purchase the land because the group is made of small income earners. “Our message to governors is that once we buy land, they should consider waiving rates. We are small income earners… the move will go along way in helping us.”
The group buys and packages rice for resale and also sells water in efforts to provide its members with an income.
Njihia said they have obtained contracts from big companies but lack the capacity for large scale operations.
