In January 2007 different countries met in Kenya. Some were representing Community Based Organizations while others represented Non Governmental Organizations.
The sole purpose of this meeting of these different countries was to share problems and challenges faced by these countries in development and land sector; to also thrash out ideas and strategies that may be used to address those problems; and also to encourage collaborations in trying to address these problems. In Uganda people do not own land and in Swaziland land is only owned by Traditional Leaders. The only option people have is to buy land, and even then they can only buy small parcels of land.
Pertaining basic needs such as water, in Nigeria they do not have water. People buy water. Another issue that was raised was that most people do not have land for grazing their livestock, they rely on other members of the society like the Masai tribe. Another matter that was raised was that most of the countries in the south are very poor and countries in the north are extremely rich.
At the end of the forum there was a very big march of the poor which navigated through shacks for about 45 kilometers. Other people from countries abroad also joined the marchers. This march strongly highlighted the plight of the people. Nairobi people were scared because police brutalize them when they are fighting for their rights. Shack dwellers are drowning in poverty and their country's President is doing nothing to address their problems.
