This archive report was first published on 18 November 2021.
On November 17, 2021, Kenya took a significant step towards eliminating open defecation with the launch of the Kenya Sanitation Alliance (KSA). The alliance aims to end open defecation in 15 counties by 2025, a move that could save thousands of lives and promote education and economic opportunities.
The 15 counties identified as having the highest rates of open defecation are Baringo, Garissa, Homa Bay, Isiolo, Kajiado, Kilifi, Kwale, Mandera, Marsabit, Narok, Samburu, Tana River, Turkana, Wajir, and West Pokot. These counties account for almost 85% of open defecation in Kenya, according to the 2019 Kenya Population and Housing Census.
At the launch event, leaders from each of the 15 counties signed a declaration of commitment to end open defecation by 2025 and provided their inputs to the action plan. The KSA is led by the Ministries of Health and Ministry of Water, Sanitation and Irrigation and funded by the Government of Japan and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
“Open defecation has devastating consequences for public health – causing disease and death, especially among young children,” said Cabinet Secretary for Health Mutahi Kagwe. “If we end this practice, we will save lives and remove a barrier to education and economic opportunity.”
The KSA is designed to help Kenya achieve UN Sustainable Development Goal 6, on water and sanitation, as well as the Kenya Vision 2030 to transform the country into an industrializing, middle-income country providing a high quality of life to all its citizens in a clean and secure environment.
