Heartless Government

I know the Kenyan  government has to make hard decisions at times. I know citizens do take unlawful steps to secure their interests at times. I know there are those unscrupulous people who take advantage of the government’s laxity to further their own selfish interests. I know the land on which the slums at Mitumba were put up was not theirs to build on.

I also know the children who sat their class eight KCPE exams this year. I know the kids who have gone on to high school and polytechnics, having grown up in those slums. I also know the budding musicians who call themselves the Poor Billionaires. I know the mothers who sell their bodies for fifty shillings to put food on the table. I also know the feeling of helplessness and no esteem that comes from them growing up in a slum.

For all that may seem convenient and lawful, there must surely be a concern for the babies who are huddled next to their freezing mothers as the Nairobi rain and cold hit and bite. Those who would at a moment’s notice demolish someone’s home would do well to consider alternatives for them. After all, the apparently 26^th richest man in Africa has land the size of Singapore. These guys only need 4 acres. Food for thought.