By Rawlings Otieno and Cyrus Ombati

With a mass burial of the Sinai fire victims planned for tomorrow, a welfare society has put the Government on notice over the plight of slum dwellers. The Slum Dwellers Association of Kenya (SDAK) has claimed that the Government was being negligent in the manner it has reacted to the fire tragedy and now wants authorities to put in place mechanisms to better living standards in the slums.

SDAK chairman Sam Okello said that the Sinai tragedy had caused the worst scar in the lives of slum dwellers. He was speaking to the Press at his offices in Hurligham, Nairobi on Monday. Meanwhile, Makadara MP Gidion Mbuvi forced his way out of Nairobi Hospital where he had been admitted so as to take part in funeral arrangements for the Sinai fire victims.

Mbuvi demanded that he be discharged in spite of the doctor's advice to stay in hospital until Thursday when he was expected to undergo an operation. He was hospitalised after he took part in a demonstration at the Kenya Pipeline Company headquarters. He left the hospital on a wheelchair and also used crutches. He later stormed the Ministry of Special Programmes headquarters, where he sought audience with minister Esther Murugi.

Disaster fund

He claimed the Government had discriminated against his constituents by failing to set up a disaster fund similar to the Sachangwan, Nakumatt and Faza Island fires.

Accompanied by Embakasi MP Ferdinand Waititu, the MP demanded that burial plans be stopped until compensation for the victims was agreed on. The MPs opposed mass burials before DNA tests are conducted to identify last Monday's fire victims.