This archive report was first published on 23 November 2019.
On November 19, World Toilet Day, residents of Tudor Ward in Mombasa County presented their county assembly members with a symbolic gift: feces wrapped in a beautiful box and an open letter. Their message was clear: the Mombasa County Government must not leave anyone behind.
Despite progress globally, millions of people still struggle to find a clean, safe, and available toilet. In Kenya, over 61% of Nairobi residents live in one-room units, and only 62% use flushing toilets, while 32% rely on pit latrines, and 6% use open spaces or other means.
600 kilometers away, in Muoroto, an informal settlement in Tudor waterfront, residents face a dire situation. With one public toilet, no waste management system, and limited access to public drinking water, they are forced to buy 20-liter jerry cans for between Sh50 and Sh100.
Experts emphasize that toilets save lives, protect dignity, and create opportunities. The feminist lens highlights the disproportionate burden on women, who often spend more time in queues and have limited access to facilities.
Sanitary and right to water and health standards, enshrined in the Constitution, Public Health Act, and building codes, must be rigorously enforced, accelerated, and invested in. As Amnesty International Executive Director Irungu Houghton notes, 'Within five kilometers of most residents and State Officers reading this article, there is an informal urban settlement or a rural village that is denied the most basic of services, a safe and clean toilet.'
