Treated like 'animals': inside Kenya's slum tourism

R E P O RT E R- JA M A L

OSMAN

M O N D AY 21 APRIL 2014 Kibera slum is home to nearly a million people !ith an a"era#e in$ome o% less than a poun& a &ay' it(s one o% the poorest parts o% Kenya ) a po"erty that is attra$tin# *estern tourists

Tourism is a money-spinner in Kenya - it is the country's second lar est source o! income" #rites Jamal Osman$ %ts sa!aris are #orld !amous" &ut a recent drop-o!! in #ildli!e tourism has i'en rise to this ne# type o! si htseein $ Se'eral tour operators are no# o!!erin a tour o! Ki&era as part o! a pac(a e$ As a result" slum tourism is a ro#in &usiness$ % met a roup o! Australians #ho ha'e athered in an upmar(et area o! Nairo&i$ )isitin Ki&era is part o! their !i'e-#ee( trip throu h A!rica$ +hey $ome here an& *hat interests them is the po"erty si&e o% it Otieno N om&a *% uess it's somethin % #anted to come and do"* Raymond Radice told me$ *+ou see so much o! Nairo&i and all the other areas o! Kenya, &ut -% #anted to see. ho# some o! the locals li'e and ho# hard they are ha'in $* A!ter a short #al(" #e reach Ki&era$ Open se#a e cuts throu h the spra#l o! tin shac(s$ %n these o'er cro#ded places" there isn't much space to do the house#or( - #ashin and cleanin is done outdoors$ Amon st this desperate po'erty" the Australian tourists loo( out o! place$ People's li'es are on display" pro'idin ample opportunities !or tourists to ra& a !e# photos and o$

/o#e'er" locals told me the ne# phenomenon is an intrusion to their li'es and that they are &ein treated li(e animals in a 0oo$ They don't #elcome mu0un us - meanin #hite people$ 1ut mu0un u !aces are &ecomin more !amiliar$ 2al(in alon a train trac(" #hich runs throu h the slum" the Australian roup #ere no# a couple o! hours into their Ki&era trip$ The tour ta(es in se'eral local &usinesses$ Otieno N om&a's small art studio -pictured" a&o'e." is one o! them$ Most o! the #or( #as made !or tourists to &uy$ &ut this doesn't al#ays happen$ O!ten they 3ust o in and out$ +hey ,tourists- shoul& #o to the par. there an& see animals Ki&era resident Oloo Mr N om&a" #hose #or( is inspired &y the 'i&rancy o! Ki&era" &elie'es tourists don't #ant the !ull e4perience o! li!e there$ *They come here and #hat interests them is the po'erty side o! it"* he told me$ *So they rather ha'e pictures o! a &oy ne4t to a ar&a e spot" stranded

do or somethin li(e that$ That suits them &ecause that's #hat they're loo(in !or$ *They're not here to say 'ta(e me to my !a'ourite pu&' and % sho# them5 this is ho# our !a'ourite pu& loo(s li(e$* Most locals say they don't &ene!it !rom them$ %nstead" they !eel they are 3ust here to &e loo(ed at and pitied$ (Inhuman( T#ali& Juma hates &ein pitied$ /e's a ru&&ish collector" &orn and &red in Ki&era$ /e doesn't li(e ma0un us ta(in his photo" especially #hen he's #or(in $ *% thin( it's de radin "* T#ali& told me$ *%t's (ind o! inhuman$ They are 3ust interested in the po'erty o! slum people6 the #ay they are sur'i'in and at the end o! the day they i'e us nothin $ They 3ust ta(e our pictures !reely$ They are only interested in the &adness o! the place$* It(s little bit intru&in#$ Stuart Ro&&ins" tourist Oloo" another Ki&era resident a rees5 *These are people li(e other human &ein s$ They -tourists. should o to the par( there and see animals$ They should tour animals there$ 2e don't #ant people to come$ They are pityin us #hen #e don't need that$* 7espite local resentment" the man #ho started these tours says they are ood !or the community$ James Asudi" !ounder o! )ictoria Sa!aris" told me that the tours can encoura e #esterners to donate money to the area$ *2ithin those t#o to !our hours" it chan es the mind-set o! a tourist" e'entually they plou h &ac(" they send money !rom #hen they o &ac( home"* he said$

Some local &usinesses see the immediate &ene!it o! the tours$ )ictorious 1ones 8ra!t -pictured" a&o'e." a small &one-cra!tin #or(shop is one o! the stops$ They ma(e 3e#ellery and ornaments to sell to tourists$ The o#ner Jac(o& Nya#an said5 *%n Ki&era" local people prioritise !ood so they don't pay a lot !or lu4ury thin s$ So my #or( depends on tourists or !orei ners$* The Australian roup &uys a !e# sou'enirs !rom the #or(shop$ As the tour came to an end" % as(ed them ho# they !elt a&out their 'isit$ *%t's little &it intrudin "* admitted Stuart Ro&&ins$ *1ut i! #e are helpin &y &uyin thin s or tellin people this happens and oes on" may &e it #ould help$ 9ntil you see it !irst hand" #e don't realise the smell" #e don't realise the round conditions and li'in conditions$* Tourists li(e the Australians" say they #ant to educate themsel'es and don't intend to o!!end anyone$ 1ut many locals do ta(e o!!ence$ They !eel their po'erty is &ein e4ploited$