[Kenya] Housing conference under way

from SABC

A two day African ministerial conference on housing and urban development is under way in the Kenyan capital Nairobi. The conference chaired by South African Lindiwe Sisulu, the housing minister, is focussing on achieving the millennium development goals in Africa especially the realisation of global commitments on slums.

The African ministerial conference on housing and urban development AMCHUD was set up a year ago to develop a programme of action relating to slum upgrading and prevention. But African states are yet to meet the millennium development goal on improved livelihoods of slums. Moody Awori, the Kenyan vice president, says many African governments are overwhelmed by the rapid urbanisation as well as high poverty levels in urban areas.

The United Nations Habitat estimates that 72% of Africa's population in urban areas lives in slums without basic services such as clean water, electricity or proper sanitation.