This archive report was first published on 19 November 2021.
On World Toilet Day, November 19, 2021, the sanitation crisis in Nairobi's slums came into sharp focus. According to the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), only 29% of Nairobi's population has access to sanitation facilities, leaving a staggering 71% without basic sanitation.
Residents of Mukuru kwa Reuben slum, one of the city's largest informal settlements, are among the 2.3 billion people worldwide who lack access to basic toilets and proper sewerage systems. The lack of access to public toilets forces residents to dip into their pockets to use pay-up toilets, a burden that is unsustainable for many.
Dorcas Wambua, a resident of Mukuru kwa Reuben, shared her experience of living in a slum without access to public toilets. 'Lack of access to public toilet has always been an issue here. Previously, before we had pay-up toilets, open defecation and flying toilets were the norm. The tricky situation is when you have children and when they have diseases such as diarrhea, you can't walk for miles looking for a sanitation facility. Open defecation or flying toilets become the resort,' she said.
However, the introduction of pay-up toilets has brought some relief to the residents. 'Honestly, having pay-up toilets has really bridged the gap when it comes to the sanitation issues in this slum because now the issues of filthy waste in the neighborhood have reduced significantly. In my house, we use pay-up toilets, but not many can afford the Sh 5 to pay for every visit. The government should just provide access to sanitation facilities,' Wambua insisted.
But the solution to the sanitation crisis is more complicated than providing every community with public toilets. Often, slums lack sewer systems, and few toilets that exist empty human waste into fresh waterways and land, resulting in contamination of the environment and the spread of waterborne diseases.
At the same time, traditional sewered toilets require vast quantities of water, a resource that is often limited in areas subject to sanitation issues like slums. To address these challenges, Fresh Life Initiative, an eco-initiative, has rolled out a solution to the sanitation crisis with its waterless toilet system, dubbed 'dry toilets.' These toilets use sawdust as opposed to water to maintain their cleanliness in a region where access to water is a challenge.
Sheila Kibuthu, Fresh Life's External Relations Manager, explained that the unique concept about the toilets is that the waste is recycled in a circular approach, leading to proper waste management. 'We provide a sustainable waste management service. On a regular basis, the waste generated is treated and upcycled with other forms of organic waste. We make sure that waste doesn’t cause diseases and pathogens where people live,' she said.
With the country working to achieve the Sustainable Development Goal 6 of clean water and sanitation by 2030, there is a need for concerted effort to ensure accessibility for all, especially with the projected increase in urban populations. Kibuthu noted that Kenya has made strides in ensuring access to sanitation and making other innovative solutions like the Kenya Environmental Sanitation Hygiene policy (KESH) launched in 2017, but there is more to be done.
