Slum residents urged to adopt 'localised solutions' to mitigate climate change effects

SDI member Joseph Mutuma. (Photo: Justine Ondieki)

By Hussein Hassan
Saturday, July 4, 2026

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Stakeholders in the country’s housing and settlement sector, who emphasised that residents of informal settlements, especially in urban areas, are among the hardest hit by climate change.

People living in informal settlements in towns and cities have been urged to adopt cheaper and sustainable methods to reduce the negative impact of climate change.

This call was made by various stakeholders in the country’s housing and settlement sector, who emphasised that residents of informal settlements, especially in urban areas, are among the hardest hit by climate change.

Speaking at the ‘Muungano International Urban Conference’ held on Friday, July 3, at the Kenya School of Government (KSG) in Nairobi, Prof Peter Njoroge, President of Slum Dweller International (SDI), Kenyan chapter, noted that 13 to 15 per cent of the country’s population lives in urban areas, and of that, nine million reside in informal settlements.

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Speaking on the sidelines of the conference at KSG, Nancy Njoki, a resident of Mathare informal settlement in Nairobi County, explained that they have formed various groups to tackle climate change effects, working with national and county governments as well as other stakeholders.

“We have planted indigenous flowers (climbers) on our rooftops to get the cooling effects in our houses made of sheets. Before deploying this method, children in our informal settlement were suffering from heat rash and other skin complications," Njoki said.

Mathare resident Nancy Njoki. (Photo: Justine Ondieki)

She also urged slum residents to maintain high standards of hygiene to prevent water-borne and air-borne diseases.

Climate change, particularly heatwaves, rainfall variability, and drought, is creating unexpected challenges for Kenyan society and the economy.

Kenya is already experiencing the impacts of climate change, with extreme weather linked to poor health, altered wildlife migrations, damage to infrastructure, and food and water insecurity.

Joseph Mutuma, a member of the SDI, called on the government to involve communities and slum dwellers in programs and measures aimed at curbing the negative effects of climate change.