Not long ago, the online Think Tank put together an action plan to solve the problem of urban slums in Nairobi, Kenya. Of course, solving the Kibera urban slum problem in Nairobi, Kenya is more than just a challenge. Did we solve the problem? Well, our plan is the answer to meet the challenge. In fact, there are quite a few barriers in the way.

The Nairobi government, after I sent my report to everyone, made a new policy; now they will no longer allow “whites” to visit the slums. Apparently I’ve rocked a few cages and something good is being done in the surrounding slums, I often get emails letting me know what’s going on there.

Missing? Well, frankly: humanity, honey, the usual and come on, these are humans we’re talking about. And as the US Ambassador to Kenya said; corruption, it’s pretty bad there. Worse, the Nairobi government does not want the slums there and says that slum dwellers are squatters, trespassers and are there illegally, no matter what the real issues.

Many of the people there have no other choice, having left the rural farming areas and come to the city. Rural areas have had crop failures due to both droughts and floods and people cannot stay there and feed their families so they come to urban slums where unsanitary conditions are worse than horrible. This humanitarian crisis is extremely serious.

Although the plan is complete it is a 10 year plan as the crisis is so big and growing with around 1.2 million slum dwellers in Nairobi now see the problem and it is not just about politics, it is much deeper than that. therefore it will take some time.