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Amid the dispute over rigged results in the Kenyan presidential election on 27 December 2007, there were widespread riots across the country, particularly in the west (Eldoret, Kisumu, Kakamega), in Nairobi and on the coast (Mombasa). More than 1,000 people were killed in the bloody unrest, and more than 300,000 fled the violence: 250,000 people – some of whom are still there today – often lived in poor conditions in refugee camps or with relatives. In retaliation for these riots, the Luo people living in the slums of Kibera, Mathare Valley and Kangemi in Nairobi were subsequently persecuted and driven out.
In the process, a health centre run by the Lutheran Church of Kenya in the notorious Kibera slum was burnt to the ground and completely destroyed. Due to the extreme poverty and often utter destitution of the inhabitants of the Kibera slum – now made even worse by the destruction caused by the recent outbreaks of violence – we decided to rebuild this health centre in collaboration with the local Lutheran parish and its contacts in the USA and Canada. To begin with, we set up a building on the parish and school grounds that had previously been used as an administrative building and accommodation: one room was converted into a consultation room, another into a dispensary, with the facility to treat patients there as well. The entrance area was converted into a waiting room.
A selection of essential medicines was funded by donors from the USA. A (decommissioned) ultrasound scanner, used in particular to examine pregnant women and patients with unexplained abdominal symptoms, was provided by a German federal authority. Kenyan doctors, who offer their services free of charge, along with Dr Petzhold and Dr Englisch, now use their spare time to ensure better, regular medical care for the people in the slum. In addition, the volunteer doctors are now receiving free training in ultrasound. This not only boosts their motivation but also benefits their future patients!