Why are Torrents downloads so slow? Can it be fixed?

The Peers are there, but am getting 10 kb maximum download.

It depends on a multitude of factors. Some things that could factor in are: local network settings
your network speed to your ISP
How many bounces you’re using with your torrent. (Each bounce slows it down a bit more, ie 3 will be (significantly) slower than 1 which will be slower than no hops).
Just a few ideas