The Ministry of Labour and political leaders have been challenged to improve the lives of slum dwellers by allocating funds towards their empowerment and poverty reduction.
Kisumu regional police coordinator Charles Narangwi on Monday said that insecurity in slums is mostly due to the area settings and the high poverty level and unemployment.
Cases of murder, robbery and fire incidents have recently been on the rise in Kisumu’s Nyalenda, Obunga and Manyatta slums.
Narangwi attributed the rising cases of insecurity in slums to negligence by the political class and asked the government to strive to improve the lives of slum dwellers within the county.
“There are a number of domestic violence cases in our files.
We have noted that the murder incidents in slums are normally due to any slight provocation, “he said.
He added that the government should look into ways through which the residents can be sensitised and empowered so that they can learn to live in harmony among themselves.
He urged politicians to stop visiting the slums only during election campaigns but to stem up their door-to-door visits to ensure that their constituents’ lives are improved.
“MPs and ward representatives should allocate funds towards the development and empowerment of slum dwellers.
A sensitised and empowered citizen will rarely be involved in domestic violence incidents or engage in criminal activities,” Narangwi said.