NAIROBI, Kenya, Jan 10 – The City Council of Nairobi (CCN) will renovate the Langata Public Cemetery at a cost of Sh24 million.
Nairobi Medical Officer of Health Robert Ayisi said half of that amount will be used to build a new wall around the cemetery while the remainder will go towards tarmacking the walkways between graves.
He stated that the efforts are aimed to making the cemetery a more dignified place for burial.
"We are fencing off that cemetery. We have done the proper survey to get the needed title deed. We are going to renovate the houses there and tarmac the road within the cemetery up to the end where the permanent graves end," he said. "City Hall is going to spend Sh12 million on the tarmacking and another Sh12 million on the fencing."
There has been a lot of controversy surrounding the cemetery with regard to its state and condition.
"In the environmental sector, we are going to cut the grass so that it becomes a place that can be used as a park. We are calling it reclaiming the Langata Cemetery so that it becomes neat and well protected," Mr Ayisi stated.
The council has also launched a clinic to deal with the needs of old people who do not have someone to take care of them within Nairobi.
Acting Deputy Medical Officer of Health Dr Juma Sindani observed that old people are almost always neglected and the clinic will go a long way in catering for their medical and physical needs.
Dr Sindani said provisions have also been made to deal with the various needs of the old people.
"It deals with an age group that usually is not visible. This is an almost neglected group which we need to offer services to. They have special needs and requirements that we need to address as per that group," he said.
"Once we mix that group with the general population, we tend to lose them out since they are not that many and their needs normally get grounded," he stated.
He was speaking to Capital News where he stressed the need for both the government and private medical institutions to do more in addressing the needs of old people.
"This one across the country I dare say is the pioneer. The Ministries of Health and the Public Health and Sanitation need to look at ways of identifying this group as a needy group and tailoring the services to take care of them properly," he said.
Last week, the Council embarked on a plan to open 10 clinics within Nairobi City to offer free medical treatment and advice to people suffering from diabetes and hypertension.
The initiative which will see clinics opened in Mathare North, Bahati, Jericho and Lunga Lunga. Other areas targeted are in Ngaira, Kariobangi North and Pumwani which will offer services in a bid to reduce complications arising from the emergence of the disease.
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