A better future for Kibera

Strewn across public lands, railway tracks and water streams, Kibera, the world’s third largest slum, is an imposing sight.

Located just three miles from the vibrant, cosmopolitan charms of Nairobi, Kenya’s capital city, it couldn’t seem further away. Crumbling metal huts rub shoulders, while soot pervades the air and children play on the refuse filled streets – here even the most basic services, such as electricity and running water, are a luxury.

For Kenyan-born Preston Akenga, the daily realities of this impoverished neighbourhood are very real and personal. As an analytical chemist studying for his MSc. at Jomo Kenyatta University, he is one of the faces of the future in African science. Having attended a gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) course, run by the Royal Society of Chemistry’s Pan Africa Chemistry Network (PACN) back in 2014, he is now the first Kenyan intern on a joint collaboration laboratory programme between PACN and Procter & Gamble.

Working daily in the hurried, narrow streets of Kibera, Preston is focusing his research efforts on ensuring clean water can one day be normal to the 300,000 (and ever-increasing) slum residents. "There is a major problem of access to clean water in Kibera", says Preston. "We are carrying out water quality assessment in the hope we can improve conditions and access."

He continues: "Drainage is awful in the slums, as you could imagine. The houses are like shacks where families of usually no less than five live in cramped rooms. We’re hoping that through taking water samples and analysing different sources of water supply, we can make a difference to people’s lives."

Overcoming challenges with science

Preston, three months into his six-month internship, is learning with every new experience in the slum. He has been touched by the local people’s interest in the PACN/P&G team’s work and is often asked questions about what a scientist does and how residents can help. Just three weeks ago, he was witness to a cholera outbreak in the settlement which led to seven fatalities.  Most often it is e.coli bacteria that cause the contamination, but the scarcity of clean water between the Nairobi water company and the individual owned wells, is in stark contrast to the rising population.

“While taking water samples and moving around the settlement on motor vehicles, we see the gruelling conditions and urgent need for sanitation assistance,” notes Preston, who specialises in the study of pesticides and residue – two water quality techniques. “It is clear that scientific input is all but essential to help improve living conditions and healthcare.”  

Creating local opportunities

Preston Akenga is one of more than 150 scientists from across Africa to have trained on the PACN GC-MS courses over the last six years. Most recently the courses have expanded to West Africa with training taking place in Ghana, increasing local analytical skills to support chemical monitoring and water management activities.

Since the PACN was set up in 2007 – with the aim of establishing a sustainable and innovative science base across Africa – it has seen more than £1.5m investment and collaborations with 35 different organisations. Three PACN Centres of Excellence in Analytical Chemistry were established in Kenya, Ghana and Ethiopia, in partnership with Syngenta, who donated £1m (over five years) to increase scientific activities in Africa. Another two centres swiftly followed, in Nigeria, where Procter & Gamble, alongside the network, aimed to create more opportunities for local talent to flourish in the chemical sciences.

“Some of the more major issues in African science lie in capacity and expertise, as well as lack of funding for equipment,” says Erick O. Awas, who administrates PACN Kenya. “The network can help combat this by creating opportunities for multinational research where African scientists can work with researchers in more developed countries. We can also strengthen regional centres of excellence with varied training programmes to increase local knowledge.”

He is buoyed by the success of the network and training opportunities, and believes this local expertise can be used to train another generation of scientists. The PACN annual congress has further made great strides to bring together academia, government and industry across the continent.

Research collaboration

Preston’s ambitions are a reflection of a widespread desire in Africa to engage with science. He is quick to point out that there has been a steady increase in young people enrolling on science courses and believes there is a general appetite and interest from the public.

“The public is interested and hungry to know what we’re doing as scientists in Africa. People in Kibera are keen to find out more about water quality. I often get children coming up to me to ask what I’m checking in the water samples and how they can join in. It’s really rewarding to show science first hand and explain what a scientist’s role is in tackling everyday challenges.”

Collaboration is key to future innovation in African science and Preston is keen to see more activity and opportunities in future decades. “There is a huge strain on resources that often hampers scientists from carrying out their ideas and research projects,” he says. “We have a long way to go and a crucial solution is through encouraging collaboration where African scientists and western researchers can share equipment, ideas and research in both academia and industry.”

Broadening horizons

The internship has already provided Preston with a whole new perspective on the corporate world. “I can’t compare myself to how I was three months ago. I’ve learned a lot from Procter and Gamble in terms of critical thinking, improved analytical skills and I had no idea of the corporate world and how it works. I feel a better, smarter person,” he smiles.

Referring back to his work in Kibera, he is positive that science can play an important part in combatting the continent’s future challenges. “I hope our assessment of water quality can be of huge benefit to African society and lead to a better future for Kibera’s residents,” he says.