Ugandan MPs visit SHOFCO on benchmarking tour

The MPs drawn from Gender, Labour and Social Development Committee of the Ugandan Parliament, visited Kenya to learn how to manage slums. 

“We know that developing countries have a lot of urbanization challenges. We have looked at very interesting interventions being employed by SHOFCO to make sure that livelihood in the slums is dignified. 

“These include having clean water, good roads, and children going to school affordably. They also carry out economic empowerment programmes through skilling, support, advice, and many other interventions like industrial cottages,” the committee chairperson Rwabushaija Margaret Namubiru said. 

Namburiru said she was impressed by how SHOFCO has ensured that local communities are brought on board on development matters. 

“SHOFCO’s intervention to ensure that people living in slums are brought on board to participate in planning and decision making is commendable. 

“We have seen libraries in the slums where children from congested home environment can come and study, a computer lab for learning digital skills and women being trained on various skills they can use to earn a living. This is incredible,” she added. 

Namburiru further said she picked vital lessons that will be useful in developing smart cities in Uganda, where every resident will be guaranteed dignified life devoid of challenges associated with urbanization. 

“For me as a person and a chair of the Gender, Labour and Social Development Committee, I have learnt a lot and we are going to keep in touch with SHOFCO for us to ensure that in Uganda, we manage our cities well because we are trying to develop smart cities away from Kampala," she stated. 

On his part, Hon Charles Bakkabulindi, Workers’ MP in Ugandan Parliament, reiterated the need to involve youths in development, saying if they miss out, then the country risks being in bigger problems in future. 

“When we talk about the country developing, we cannot leave the slums behind, and we cannot forget the youth. There are so many youth in the slum and if we don’t develop together with them, then we are sitting on a time bomb. 

“What SHOFCO is doing by bringing youth on board is commendable. This ensures that tomorrow we will not regret. I’m so happy about it,” Bakkabulindi stated. 

During their tour, the MPs visited SHOFCO’s aerial water piping system, library, computer lab, women empowerment programs, girls’ school, gender department and Shofco Urban Network department. 

Founded by Dr. Kennedy Odede in 2004 in Kibera, the organisation has spread across Kenya, serving over four million people in 35 counties. 

The organisation has received global recognition in its approach to transform slums and rural communities across Kenya. 

Dr. Odede was on Thursday, April 18, 2024 listed among 100 most influential people in the world by the Time Magazine. 

“Kennedy is living proof that individuals can lead themselves, and their communities, out of poverty.

“Kennedy finds ingenious solutions: schools for the most vulnerable girls, training programs for men to combat domestic violence, safe houses for survivors, community libraries, employment programs, innovative clean-water kiosks, a community cooperative bank,” TIME100 stated.