An Assessment Of Poverty Reduction Interventions In Kiandutu Slum, Thika West District, Kiambu County, Kenya

ABSTRACT

Poverty has often been seen as a purely rural problem but for many developing countries, the pervasive nature of urban poverty constitutes an enormous challenge for policy makers and in development efforts. Poverty reduction tools and approaches that have been developed for rural poverty reduction cannot be replicated in urban areas because urban poverty is different in nature from rural poverty hence, understanding the nature of urban poverty as well as having accurate data that presents its dynamics, trends and conditions is vital. Kiandutu slum is one of the largest slums located in Kiambu County. It consists of poor people majority of whom are unemployed resulting from the closure of many industries in Thika town and the collapsing of coffee plantations rendering the residents to live in abject poverty. This research focused on the effectiveness of organizations working in Kiandutu Slum to reduce poverty, it assessed the poverty coping strategies employed by residents in Kiandutu, challenges facing poverty reduction interventions in Kiandutu Slum and recommended some comprehensive poverty reduction strategies. The study employed a survey design targeting 350 households which were systematically selected at a confidence level of 95% and confidence Interval of 5.18. Focus group discussions were held with the Community Health Workers (CHWs), Community Based Organisations (CBOs) and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs).Data collected was then analysed through SPSS (version 12) and presented inform of graphs, tables, texts, pie charts and photographs. The results indicated that poverty coping strategies could be grouped in terms of: economic activities, expenditure and purchasing pattern, rural-urban ties, social network and community participation. The challenges facing poverty reduction included: inadequate housing and environmental services, lack of clear and secure tenure, informality, inadequate information, high levels of insecurity and high unemployment rates. Recommended poverty reduction strategies included: formulating clear and consistent city/town development strategies, revision of tenure security and property rights, empowering vulnerable households and disadvantaged groups, expanding microfinance, credit systems and income generating activities in Kiandutu slum, improving social infrastructure, shelter and physical infrastructure, capacity building, HIV/AIDS prevention and mitigation, decentralization, community organization and mobilization