Nairobi News

Must Read

Plans underway to upgrade Mathare and Korogocho slums


Korogocho and Mathare informal settlements are set for major face lift which will be undertaken by the Nairobi Metropolitan Service (NMS).

NMS Director General Mohammed Badi said the two informal settlements will soon be declared special planning areas to pave way for planning of the two areas to facilitate formulation of harmonised standards and guidelines for buildings and other forms of development.

SLUM UPGRADING

Informal settlements in the country are synonymous with sprawling shanties teeming with thousands of people crammed up in tiny structures.

Already, Mukuru and Kibra informal settlements have been declared special planning areas, meaning that all development plans in the two slum areas have been suspended for a period of two years.

“This will ensure that any future developments will be undertaken under a planning framework,” said Mr Badi.

He pointed out that the plan in line with President Uhuru Kenyatta’s directive to NMS in March to undertake slum upgrading initiatives in the Metropolitan Area.

INFORMAL SETTLEMENT

The Major General stated that already Mukuru informal settlement renewal programme is well underway with the Special Planning Area framework for the area extended for a further two-year period.

Mukuru slums, running all the way from Marigoini all the way to Viwandani, was declared a special planning area by Nairobi County government in 2018.

This was to enable the construction of roads and better houses as part of the regeneration of a number of informal settlements in the county.

A total of Sh56 million was set aside for the pilot programme, Sh20 million for planning facilitation and a further Sh36 million for land surveying, registration, roads and sewers.

SPECIAL PLANNING

Maj Gen Badi explained that three sector plans including water and sanitation, roads and drainage, and electrification have been finalised where implementation began in May, 2020.

On the other hand, Kibra informal settlement was declared a Special Planning Area under the Physical and Land Use Planning Act on May 26, 2020 to pave way for its planning.

The declaration consequently suspended any development in Lindi, Makina, Laini Saba and Sarang’ombe Wards.

Declaration of an area as a special planning zone means that any development in the area will henceforth have to be in line with the development plan for the specific area with the plan acting as a reference framework for developers and regulatory agencies with regard to development control processes and infrastructure provision.