Patrick 'Moreno' Osiro navigates Nairobi's Kibera slums, where the stench of human waste is both a burden and a livelihood. As part of a small group known as 'froggers,' he manually empties long-drop toilets, a practice that has expanded since international charities and local entrepreneurs built thousands of these facilities over the past decade. Unlike formal sewage systems, these latrines charge 5-10 shillings per use, with workers like Osiro hauling waste in oil-tin containers before dumping it into the Nairobi River.
The river, which flows through Tsavo National Park before reaching the Indian Ocean, bears the brunt of untreated waste. United Nations Water data shows 80% of global wastewater enters ecosystems without treatment, contaminating water sources and spreading diseases like cholera and typhoid. Osiro, who has worked for 30 years without illness, earns up to 1,000 shillings daily during rains—more than double the 2017 average wage, according to the World Bank.
While charities once provided protective gear, the equipment has deteriorated, leaving workers to purchase their own gloves. Riccardo Zennaro of the UN Environment Program noted that froggers address local sanitation needs but remain part of the broader pollution crisis. 'They contribute to resolving the issue at a very local scale, but they are actually part of the challenge,' he said. This dynamic was underscored as Kenya prepared to host a major UN environmental conference in 2019 focused on pollution.
Kibera, home to 250,000 residents in unplanned settlements, exemplifies Kenya's sanitation gap. Despite efforts to replace 'flying toilets'—where waste was discarded in plastic bags—systemic solutions remain elusive, with waste management reliant on informal labor rather than infrastructure.
