Friday, August 05, 2005

Kenyan Housing Minister Supported Zimbabwe Demolitions

“However painful, evictions are necessary," Kenyan Housing Minister Amos Kimunya said last month at a meeting in South Africa, according to the Business Day newspaper. Zambian Housing and Public Works Minister Sylvia Masebo also expressed sympathy with the Mugabe government, saying that the rights of squatters had to be balanced with the rights of those settled in decent homes who were faced with declining property values.

I guess the idea of working with squatters to improve their commuities is just too, too radical for these bureaucrats. I missed this story a month ago. Kimunya's comment doesn't bode well for the 1.5 million or 2 million Nairobi residents who live in the city's vast mud and scrap steel neighborhoods.

No comments: