A section of residents in Kibera have ditched the modern fencing techniques and are back to traditional ways where trees and wood posts are used to fence.
According to Jumah Mwaniki of Jamhuri, many people have decided to do traditional fencing because the current wires used in fencing are weak and do not last long.
‘’You cannot compare the wires which were used to fence ten years ago to the current ones in the market. The current fencing wires are very weak and can easily rust. Also, thieves have mastered how to quickly cut these types of wires when they want to steal,’ said Jumah.
‘’On the other side, traditional or tree fencing is quit important since it is natural and can last for generations. By the time the trees are getting old, the owner can decide to start planting young trees so that the fence will not remain bare at any given point,’ he said.
The traditional fencing system has also been embraced by several schools in the area example Moi Girls’ High school and Jamhuri primary. Also, some residents do double fencing which entails modern fencing (use of wires) and traditional fencing at the same fence.
This explains why youths have ventured in tree planting exercise where they mostly sell Cahaba trees.