For a very long time, Korogocho slum experienced darkness due to lack of security light. The situation was worse thus very difficult for many to take a risk of walking along the streets of Korogocho during the day and night.
Nights were specifically threatening and more dangerous due to lack of street lights.
The movement of many residents at night was limited as criminals took advantage of the situation to vandalize and steal properties from the residents. The situation gave the criminals and others who were against change in Korogocho an opportunity to carry on there criminal activities.
Women ,young girls and older women were the majority of those affected by the situation due to lack of security light .Many women were abused sexually and others raped as there perpetrators took advantage of the situation to carry out there devilish acts without been noticed by any one.
It was very difficulty and challenging at night for the majority of the Kogorocho residents to carry out there activities at night. Most residents survive by selling foodstuffs along the streets of Korogocho till late at night to catch the market from those coming back from work at night. Most Kenyans walk to and from work every day, arriving home late at night. Businesses therefore do better at night. However, with increased criminal activities, these workers are frequently robbed of the little money they save by walking so as to at least buy some food for the family. Most families survive on one meal a day, especially supper when the father is back from work. But it is not uncommon for the father to come back home empty handed an tired after along day’s work, a long walk back home and the criminals disappearing with his little money sometimes borrowed from workmates!
It therefore became necessary that street lights be installed to provide some security against the marauding criminals. The electricity poles would need a new innovation since the current one were being vandalized by the same criminals to provide them with a more friendly environment to steal. Esther Passaris, a private entrepreneur, came up with the innovation. Thorugh her company, Adopt-A-Light, she introduced high mast street lighting programme. Her electric masts were too long for any criminal to destroy. She put up these high masts electricity poles in different slums in Nairobi. Korogocho was not in her initial programme. It was until different members of the community through the support of the community and church leaders especially St John Catholic Church through the Priest-In-Charge, Father Daniel Moschetti intervened and lobbied for inclusion of Korgocho in the programme that the first mast was launched and Korogocho Communiry Centre.
To date four high mast security lights have been put up but only one is working. The first security light was put in the community center and started woking a few month's after it was constructed.
Another was constructed in Grogan area and the last in Ngomongo area.The other two security light that of Ngomongo and Grogon are currently not functioning. Once again Korogocho community was celebrating the establishment of this security light. Life temporarily became quite manageable to the residents at night. Women thought they could walk freely again without fear in Korogocho street. Their businesses would close later than usual and criminals would be ashamed to attack under the full glare of the street lights.
But loh!! Celebration was just temporary. In Grogon,immediately the security light was officially opened it did not take even a week before it was vandalised by unknown people. It is believed that criminals who saw their ‘carreers’ crumbling done destroyed the high mast. Though it is the longest mast in Nairobi, the criminals seemed to have been rehearsing new skills to deal with the new street lighting technology! .It is still very sad that resident of Grogon are now still staying in darkness after the incidence occurred a few month's ago.
The situation is the same in Ngomongo where the security light is not functioning even after it was constructed so many month's
ago. Even in this situation, many resident's of Korogocho are still optimistic that the condition will improve soon and all the security light in
The area will start to function so that there will be light in Korogocho again.
The writer is a social rights musician in Korogocho Slums.
