SPEECH BY HON. SOITA SHITANDA, EGH MP
         MINISTER FOR HOUSING

DURING
THE TRIPARTITE CONFERENCE ON URBANIZATION CHALLENGES
AND POVERTY REDUCTION IN ACP COUNTRIES
MONDAY 8 th JUNE 2009

•H.E Dr. Anna Tibaijuka, Executive Director, UN- (HABITAT)
• European Commission Representative
• Secretary General of the ACP Group of States
• EU Presidency Representative
• Ministers
• High Commissioners and Diplomats present
• Distinguished Participants;
• Ladies and Gentlemen.

It gives me great pleasure to join you this morning in this Tripartite Conference on Urbanization Challenges and Poverty Reduction in African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Countries. May I, on behalf of the Government and the people of Kenya, take this opportunity to warmly welcome you to Kenya and to this forum.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

This conference brings together European Commission, the ACP Group of States and UN-
HABITAT with an aim to harmonize our contributions to the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) particularly, those relating to urban poverty reduction and slum upgrading. It thus provides us with an opportunity to review our urbanization and slum growth, share our experiences and methodologies of responding to these challenges. This also is the right to make recommendations that will facilitate ACP countries attaining sustainable urban growth.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The world has entered into the Urban Millennium. Indeed, among the greatest challenges facing mankind in the New Millennium is rapid urbanization. Since 1950, mankind has experienced its most rapid expansion, from 2.5 billion to 6 billion people in 2005. Sixty per cent of this increase has been in urban areas, and in particular in urban areas of the developing world, where the urban population has increased by more than six fold in only 50
years.

Over the next 30 years, it is projected that the global urban population will increase by more than 2 billion that is from 2.9 billion in 2001 to about 4.9 billion in 2030. In percentage terms, the world's urban population will increase from 48 percent of the total world population in 2001 to about 60 per cent in 2030.
For us in Africa, and indeed in Kenya, this high rate of urbanization poses a great challenge to our urban economies, which have been unable to cope with the increasing demand for essential services such as housing, health, and education. As a result, a rapidly increasing category of urban dwellers live in poverty and reside in overcrowded slums, which lack basic essentials to sustain even a modest living.

Further, segregation policies in the colonial era, a post-independence policy of slum clearance, and a more recent lack of equitable and defined land and urban development policies contributed to proliferation of slums in our urban centers. This situation is worsened by the fact that while urban housing need is estimated at 150,000 units annually, only 30,000 formal houses are generated. This scenario consigns the majority of our people to a life in slums or quasi-slum conditions.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

While there are no instant solutions to contain rapid urban growth and the attendant proliferation of slums, the Government, private sector, Development Partners, NGOs and informal settlement communities can fully implement policies and strategies, which gradually reverse and contain these challenges.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The Government of Kenya has committed itself to the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). To meet the MDG goals and to spur our own economic development, the Government developed and is now implementing a new long-term development blueprint referred to as "Kenya Vision 2030". The Vision is aimed at making our country `globally competitive and prosperous with a high quality of life by 2030." It is geared towards transforming Kenya into "a newly-industrialising, middle income country providing a high quality of life to all its citizens in a clean and secure environment".

The Vision is anchored on three key pillars namely Economic, Social and Political Governance. The economic pillar aims to achieve an economic growth rate of 10 per cent per annum and sustaining the same till 2030 in order to generate more resources to address the MDGs. The vision has identified a number of flagship projects in every sector to be implemented over the vision period to facilitate the desired growth that can support the implementation of the MDGs on a sustainable basis.
In addition the vision has flagged out projects addressing the MDGs directly in key sectors such as agriculture, education, health, water and environment. The social pillar seeks to create just, cohesive and equitable social development in a clean and secure environment. The political pillar aims to realise an issue-based, people-centred, result-oriented and accountable democratic system.

In other words, the vision aspires to meet the MDGs for Kenyans.

Ladies and Gentlemen

The Government has gone further to implement this policy framework. For example, in the MDG target of improving the lives of 100 million slum dwellers globally by the year 2020 while discouraging the growth of new slums (Goal 7, target 1), the Government , in collaboration with UN-HABITAT initiated the Kenya Slum Upgrading Programme (KENSUP).

This programme is aimed at improving the living conditions of the slum dwellers. The programme, which is coordinated through my Ministry, is to cover all urban areas of Kenya.

KENSUP is an integrated and holistic initiative intended to improve the livelihoods of an estimated 5.4 million slum dwellers countrywide by year 2020. Phase One of KENSUP covers the major towns in the country and will be implemented during the first ten years of this Programme.

Already, the Government has embarked on the construction of housing units, social and physical infrastructure in slum settlements in Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu and Mavoko.

In order to reduce the cost of constructing houses, my Ministry is promoting the adaptation and use of appropriate house building and construction technologies locally available building materials. To this end we are setting up Appropriate Building Technology Centres in our all countries eight provinces. These centers will facilitate improved and affordable housing for Kenyans and consequently check the mushrooming of slums.

Ladies and Gentlemen:

Land is one of the most important resources not only in food production, but also in housing and urban development. Management of the urban land resource, particularly the planning and its allocation to the many competing uses, is a challenge that must be addressed responsibly in order to harness the full potential of our cities, towns and urban centres. In recognition of this, the Government of Kenya in collaboration with major stakeholders has formulated a Draft Land Policy. This Policy aims at streamlining land management and ensuring equity in its distribution and allocation.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

In conclusion, we need to re-dedicate ourselves to the transformation of our cities and towns into urban economic bases not just for the present generation, but also for the future ones. I agree with Prof. Akin Mabogunje, Africa's pre-eminent urbanist and former Cities Alliance Policy Advisory Board member when he observes that:
"The critical issues that each country must face in dealing with the expected high increases to its urban population in the next decade relate to the nature of the institutional and other arrangements being made to receive this additional population, provide them with decent housing and ample employment opportunities, strive to reduce poverty among them, and ensure that they enjoy a tolerable quality of life and standard of living"

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am aware that the deliberations during this conference will be informed by the themes, experiences, ideas and strategies from across ACP countries.
It is therefore my hope that by the end of this conference we will come up with viable solutions to the myriad challenges facing our rapidly growing towns and urban centres. These will go a long way in improving the sustainability of our human settlements.
In this regard, I wish you fruitful deliberations and an enjoyable stay in Kenya. I also encourage you to find time to sample our rich cultural heritage and enjoy Kenyan hospitality by visiting our various tourist sites. Thank you.

MONDAY, 8TH JUNE 2009

GIGIRI NAIROBI