Residents of old city estates not willing to move out
UnpublishedNation: Mr. Faraj Mzito sits on a stone outside his house in Ziwani Estate in Nairobi, contemplating his next move. Mr. Mzito is a fourth generation dweller in Ziwani, which is the only home he knows. That is why the recent announcement by the Nairobi County government that tenants in the estate must move to the pave way for the construction of new houses, has left him worried and unsettled.
The house he lives in was owned by his great-great grandparents, who passed it down to his parents, who in turn passed it down to him and two of his siblings. However, Mr. Mzito, his siblings and their families have to find alternative accommodation to pave the way for the multimillion project that is aimed at using the land to house more people in apartment blocks.
The old houses were built in 1950s, and were once decent dwellings that were home to the late Tom Mboya and former Nairobi mayor Joe Akech. Those who got the homes first passed them down to the next generation, and with time they became “family property”.
Mr. Mzito, 44, says that as the families grew but did not wish to live far from one another, the residents started building corrugated iron sheet extensions to “accommodate a whole family in one compound”.
A trip to the estate recently revealed that the houses accommodate up to eight households, with the parents occupying the main house while their sons and their families live in the extensions. The residents pay rents of between Sh1, 000 and Sh3, 000 depending on the size of the house, which is way below those in most city estates. And that is the reason most residents have lived in the estate for years, Mr. Mzito says.
As the population grew, the haphazard construction of extensions to accommodate the rising numbers turned the estates into a veritable slum, with garbage and overflowing sewers all over. For years, the county council also neglected the estates, forcing the residents to maintain them themselves.
Invitation to KARA Conference on Sustainable Cities & Communities
The Kenya Alliance of Resident Associations has organized a 3 day Business Expo & Conference to be held on November 25th to 27th 2016 at the Sarit Center in Westlands, Nairobi.
Your landlord shouldn’t just raise the rent at will
NATION: After graduating from the university last year and getting a job on the outskirts of Nairobi, Judy Wangui, 24, decided it was time to be independent since she had spent her years as a university student moving from one relative’s house to another.
Real estate’s a job, not a hobby
NATION:“There’s a perception that with real estate, one can never go wrong,” he says. “Many people with spare money to invest fancy property because of its (perceived) hands-off approach when it comes to management.
Kara Monthly E-Newsletter: November 2016
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Urban Development: Implementation of Nairobi Integrated Urban Development Master Plan (NIUPLAN) Begins
The Nairobi City County Government (NCCG) has embarked on implementation of the Nairobi Integrated Urban Development Master Plan (NIUPLAN) whose preparation was finalized in 2014.
Law on cities and towns planning to be amended, says CS Kaimenyi
The Star: Laws guiding the establishment of towns and cities will be amended to reflect the current realities, Lands CS Jacob Kaimenyi has said.
Tenants in old Nairobi County houses marked for Sh300b project to be compensated
The Standard: Residents living in houses that sit on land earmarked for the Sh300 billion Urban Renewal Project will be given money for alternative housing.
Transport: We need planned cities to cater for pedestrians and motorists
Most people would agree that Nairobi is one of the most pedestrian-unfriendly cities in the world.
Sustainable Development Goals: Government challenges to invest in public awareness and education
The 51st edition of the Kara Bi-monthly Talk Series (BTS) forum was held on 11th October 2016 on the theme: Understanding Sustainable Development Goals and expected impact on Kenya’s development.
Kara Expo: Have you registered for Kara Business Expo & Conference?
Preparations to host the KARA Business Expo & Conference on November 25 – 27, 2016 at the Sarit Center, Nairobi, are at an advanced stage.
Kara nominated to be a member of taskforce on enhancing better service delivery
Kara has been nominated to be part of a taskforce to be appointed by the Governor to engage Nairobi City County Government in finding solutions to the challenges facing businesses and residents of Nairobi.
KARA Receives Presidential Award for Promoting Tax Awareness & Education
The Kenya Alliance of Resident Associations (KARA) is honoured to be among the Presidential Awardees during the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) Taxpayers’ Day 2016.
Kara to lead stakeholders’ consultation on Bus Rapid Transit system development
Plans are underway to develop a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system in Nairobi in order to improve the quality of public transport provision and enhance social mobility of those that live and work in the City.
Residents Associations resolve to back Kara in pushing for implementation of the new Neighbourhood Associations Engagement Act
Representatives of Residents Associations who attended the Kara Chairpersons’ forum held on 27th September 2016 resolved to support Kara
National Land Commission to collaborate with Kara on Public Land Management
The National Land Commission (NLC) will work with Kara to address various challenges affecting management of public land, especially open spaces within neighbourhood.
Invitation to Bus Rapid Transit System Stakeholders Meetings
As you may be aware, the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) is a locally appropriate means of improving the quality of public transport provision in many cities around the world.
Kara Monthly E-Newsletter: September 2016
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Nairobi City County Government has enacted a law that provides a framework for structured and effective engagement between Residents Associations and the County Government. The formulation of the Nairobi City County Community and Neighbourhood Associations Engagement Act, 2016 was initiated by KARA in response to lack of a legal and strong engagement mechanism between Residents Associations and the County Government. The Act was published on Friday, 26th August 2016 and shall come into operation upon expiry of ninety (90) days from the date of its publication. While some of the provisions Kara pushed for were not included in the final law, we are nonetheless pleased that its enactment is a step in the right ...
Preparations for the Kara Business Expo and Conference slated for November 25-27, 2016 at the Sarit Center are on course. Many thanks to our confirmed sponsors, exhibitors and partners so far namely: Safaricom Ltd, Wananchi Group Ltd, Sarit Center, Kenya Revenue Authority, Optiven Ltd, Sun n’ Sand Beach Resort, Sai Office Supplies, Ideas Spot, Diva Interior Designers, Side Lake Enterprises, Youth and Success Association, Kenya Green Building Society, The Kenya National Federation of Jua Kali Associations (KNFJKA), Town and County Planners Association of Kenya (TCPAK).
The key to stemming unchecked growth lies with local residents’ groups
Nation: After living in Zimmerman for most of his life, Mr Dennis Gatune, an IT manager with a city-based firm, decided to move out after seeing the estate decline drastically.
Governor Kidero promises to strengthen stakeholders’ engagement in service delivery agenda
KARA participated in Nairobi Governor’s round table meeting with Business Membership Organizations (BMO) where various service delivery issues were discussed.
