Nearly a million Nairobians sleep hungry: City Hall

NAIROBI, KENYA: An estimated 900,000 residents living in Nairobi’s slum areas are starving, it has now emerged.

According to a survey by City Hall in partnership with the Kenya Red Cross, Oxfam and World Concerns, 30 percent of the estimated 3 million residents in slum areas sleep hungry or only have a single meal daily.

Data relayed by the City’s Food, Agriculture and Forestry department indicates that out of the over 26 slums in the City, Korogocho was the worst affected area by hunger.

It is estimated that 200 families living in Korogocho go hungry every day.

The survey dubbed ‘The Early Warning and Action Mechanism Strategy survey’ further indicates that 22 percent of children in informal settlements don’t get nutrition in food.

This is despite revelations that 15 million plates of food are served daily to the over 5 million population in Nairobi.

County Agriculture, Food and Forestry Executive, Njuguna Wachira blamed the situation on poverty and lack of adequate uptake of urban agriculture.

“Whereas a section of city residents get enough food, there is the other population that cannot get a single meal a day and that should not be the case,” said Wachira.

The CEC revealed that the survey was commissioned in December and the findings were released in February.

“The survey was manually carried out across 30 informal settlements in the city in selected households,” added Wachira.

slums areas such as Kibera, Jua Kali, Mahira, Huruma Ex-Grogon, Kahonoki, Kiamutisya, Baba Dogo Kasabuni, Baba Dogo and  Kariadudu just to name a few have to put up with sewerage and garbage leaving no room for Agricultural productivity.

The Agriculture boss however says that the County with the aid of the partners will set aside Sh30 million every year to address the issue.