President William Ruto has launched a resilient and sustainable project targeting to improve infrastructure for the urban poor population.

The project will not only step-up action against climate, but also mitigate the serious needs of proper housing and amenities in slums.

The project to be known as Building Climate Resilience of the Urban (BCRUP) is a joint programme led jointly by Kenya and Brazil.

The idea was initiated four years ago in New York during the UN climate Summit where Kenya and Turkey led discussions on how to improve infrastructure for the urban poor. Brazil came in as an implementing partner.

Speaking during the launch as a side event of the just concluded Africa Climate Summit, Ruto said the project will lift the face of poor people in Kenya and further rid the vulnerability of people living in the informal settlements around Kenya’s cities.

“Informal settlement is not about Kibera and a few other places, but that is not the case. It is areas that lack superior amenities that come with residing in the cities, exposing them to various vulnerabilities, “he said.

Ruto said one of the vulnerabilities is that most of Kenya’s children who do not go to school are more in the urban informal settlements than those in rural areas.

He said, with growing urbanisation, the population of people moving to urban areas and living in informal settlements has been rising annually, with close to one million people currently living in Kenya’s informal settlements.

“When people think about cities, they think it’s Lavington and other estates but that is not the case. Cities are about the population that lack basic amenities, “he added.

The president says while the poor are the most affected by climate change, they lack resources to adapt, mitigate or shield themselves against the consequence that most affected women, children and youths.

Climate adaptation

Ruto said the BRCUP project will help implement interventions that will enhance climate adaptation in the wake of immersive growth of urbanisation and climate induced migration to urban areas.

“The future of urban life is real and it is up to us to decide on what type of urban it should be; either informal or formal with availability of basic needs, it is up to us,” he said.

Ruto added, “It is therefore the concept of this program to reduce urban vulnerability and at the same time, mitigate the urban crisis in general,”

The president said Kenya is committed to ensuring full realisation of the project even though financing has been the major challenge to speedy implementation.

“This project will ensure availability of water, sanitation, electricity and hospitals in and proper housing in areas where the less fortunate live in, “he said.

Housing PS Charles Hinga says 70 per cent of Kenya’s GDP is created and produced in the cities with Nairobi being the major contributor.

However, the majority of those who live in the informal settlement have been neglected despite their immense contribution to Kenya’s economic growth.

“It is unfair for Nairobi to produce wealth but most people are living in the informal settlement. Despite making billions, it is a small percentage that is ploughed back to us, especially the informal settlements,” Ringa said.

He said these areas are majorly run by funds from donors and partners, which was unjust to the residents.

Ringa said it was time for the Senate to come up with a bill that will ensure urbans benefit from the funds they make.

“We are not asking for much; we only need two percent of what we make as an urban area. Our urban areas are dying, do not let them die yet we can redeem them by channeling some of the funds to the urban poor population,” he said.