The number of grannies living in Kasuitu Slum, Machakos county out way those from the entire Mavoko sub-county, says elder Gabriel Mutinda.
Speaking to this writer in the slum on Friday, Mutinda said the area is dominated by very old people majority being of ages between 70 and 87.
“I wonder how all these elderly people majority of whom are grannies ended up being in this neglected slum,” said Mutinda.
The 72-year-old Mutindo also lives at the slum that stands on part of the disputed Sheep and Goat land in outskirts of Athi River town, Mavoko sub-county.
Widower Mutinda is among the few male grannies living in the slum as quarters claiming they have got nowhere to call home but a stretch of the land also claimed by members of the Maasai community who believe it is their ancestral land.
Mutinda said the area does not have many youths claiming majority of the grannies did not bear children.
He said the few with children had let their children move to other areas within Athi River town especially in slums to seek jobs in industrial companies.
Mutinda said, however, the slum is located 50 metres away from East African Portland Cement Company, the company’s management had refused to employ youths from the region, a situation he claimed greatly contributed to the youths’ exit from the slum.
He called on the area leadership to consider the grannies in their development agenda claiming they were forgotten by those in power, both national and county governments.