The Nation (Nairobi)
5 July 2009
Nairobi — A plan to resettle thousands of slum dwellers in the middle of a wildlife migratory corridor has triggered fierce opposition from environmentalists and locals.
Jamii Bora village in the Kaputiei plains in Kajiado District has been earmarked as a new home for over 10,000 Nairobi slum dwellers in an effort to ease crowding and improve living conditions.
The Jamii Bora settlement is the brainchild of Ingrid Munro, a Swedish woman who has dedicated her life to helping Kenya's poor. Ms Munro runs Jamii Bora, one of Kenya's largest microfinance institutions.
Proponents say the project, on a 293-acre piece of land 50km from Nairobi, will see slum dwellers buy the houses through a microfinance repayment scheme.
But environmentalists have warned that the plan could destroy Nairobi National Park, already under intense pressure from similar developments in other parts of the corridor.
Wardens say a number of animals have stopped coming to the park after the migratory route was blocked.
The park depends on the ecosystem stretching from the Athi-Kaputiei plains in Kajiado to the Tanzanian border and beyond. The district hosts one of Kenya's largest wildlife populations -- including the African wild dog.
The canines routinely move in and out of Nairobi National Park, which also hosts one of the largest concentrations of the rare black rhino. Lions, and even cheetahs, can still be seen, says warden James Wandeto.
While the plains were once black with thousands of wildebeest on the scale of the famous Maasai Mara migration further south, scarcely a hundred now roam the area. Environmentalists say the situation could get worse if developments along the migratory route continue.
Ms Munro rejects claims that the town will affect wildlife migration.
"We bought this place like any other person," she said.
"We are aiming to stamp out poverty and we are doing it here in Kaputiei. We need low-income earners to live in good houses," she said.
But local leaders disagree. "This will bring 'foreigners' here," said Timothy Kintet, a resident.
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