Residents of Laini Saba area in Kibera are busy demolishing the structures built along the railway line in a bid to beat the September deadline set under the Relocation Action Plan (RAP) by the Kenya Railways Corporation. Several residential houses and business stalls which had been marked as illegal along the railway line have so far been brought down by the owners as they rally to get the new houses promised under the Action Plan.
However, various concerns have been raised by some residents who cite lack of transparency in the process of relocating the affected persons. Under the Relocation Action Plan, the Project Affected Persons (PAP) is guaranteed alternative housing provided that they have been registered. According to some of them, they have not been given alternative houses despite been registered in 2010.
“I have been forced to look for another house and room for my shop because I cannot wait for promises that cannot be full filled. We were promised makeshift houses as the permanent houses are yet to be completed, but it seems that only a few people benefit on biased grounds,” says Jane Muthoni who is an affected person.
She also complains that there are few makeshift houses that cannot carter for the larger population of those who are required to relocate within a short notice.
According to Vice-Chairperson of Laini Saba Segmental Committee Robert Chatu, the residents were given a prior notice as early as January this year to relocate as those who are registered get alternative places for shelter. “Those who are registered as Project Affected Persons shall surely be given houses. There are those who did not register and therefore they don’t qualify despite being required to relocate. It is good people are responding and actually demolishing the structures by themselves to give space for the railway line,” says Chatu.
Chatu has also rubbished corruption claims surrounding the awarding of houses, “No one is segregated or sidelined when it comes to relocation. As longs as you are registered, you are guaranteed a house,”
The Project which is initiated by the Government in collaboration with the World Bank is aimed at creating space for the improvement of the railway line as well as ensuring safety of those who had earlier built their houses and business centers along the railway.