Nominated Senator Karen Nyamu has threatened to lead Nairobi women in a nude protest in the Central Business District (CBD).
Speaking before the Senate on October 18, Nyamu rose to support a Bill tabled to advocate for the increase in funds for slums in Nairobi.
According to the senator, slum dwellers especially women deserved the additional funding adding that they ought to be considered as marginalized communities.
However, she felt that the outcry of women in Nairobi slums were not taken seriously vowing that if not addressed, she would lead the women in a nude protest.
“We have been crying in Nairobi for these slum dwellers and we have been ignored over the years. We are going to resort to unorthodox methods.”
“As the women of Nairobi and Kiboro and Mji wa Huruma, we are going to undress in this town so that we can get the attention of the policy makers and legislators in this house. Enough of this talk, we are going to find solutions for ourselves,” Nyamu stated.
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Senator Nyamu on the Rights of Slum Dwellers
At the same time, the Senator stated that there was need for the government to give slum dwellers special attention and consideration.
She explained that residents in those areas lived in deplorable situations in addition to living in densely populated areas.
“The deplorable state that these Kenyan citizens have been living in has continued to be ignored by legislators. I served on the board of Nairobi Water, and we mapped Nairobi in seven regions.
“We saw it wise to have another region to include all the slums. We dealt with the slums differently because they are densely populated and less privileged,” added Nyamu.
Further, the senator noted that she supports the bill because it elevates the burden of the already strained county budget.
“I also like the fact that it is area specific and project specific,” Nyamu noted.
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Nairobi is Not a Rich County
Nyamu noted that many lawmakers assumed that Nairobi was a rich county and therefore did not see the need for increased funding.
However, that was not an accurate assumption according to the senator adding that the county deserved recognition just like any other county in the country.
“Nairobi has been assumed to be a rich county. Just because we have rich estates like Karen and Muthaiga, we ignore the slum dwellers of Nairobi. Nairobi is the home of big slums like Kibera, Mathare, Korogocho, Kayabas and Silanga.
“I want this House to recognize these regions as marginalized. Just because they neighbor Karen or Muthaiga or other rich estates does not mean they should be ignored,” she lamented.
