NAIROBI, Kenya, Nov 19 – As the international community commemorated the World Toilet Day on Thursday, Kenya which is among countries reeling in poor sanitation remained subdued.
Capital News visited Kanuku, Kinyangu and Kitui slums in Nairobi’s Pumwani area, which are among the worst hit with poor sanitation.
The residents say following the clean up of Nairobi River, their pit latrines were demolished leaving them with little choice but to use plastic bags and tins which they throw into the river or a nearby open field.
“Our area chief said they should be brought down because they were polluting the environment. From Kanuku to Kinyangu, there is only one block of toilets,” explained Jane Nduku who complained that long queues could keep one for as long as 30 minutes waiting for a facility.
Others like Grace Wairimu have resorted to visiting the nearby Moi Airbase grounds – an open field in the middle of the three slums. True to her words, the stench from the base is choking. Vultures have befriended people who come there to help themselves.
At midday we watched as women and children used tattered pieces of cloth to hide themselves from passersby as they relieve themselves. Not even the presence of Capital News crew perturbs them.
“This government has to do something. We have no toilets. What life is this? Adults and children all in one open field even during the day! We are tired of this, why did the chief bring down our toilets?” they speak, almost in unison.
Francis Kinyua a community worker in Pumwani is well conversant with the area. He says there are only two blocks of toilets each with six units that serve thousands in the three slums.
Angela Wanjiku says: “We use black paper bags, tie them and then throw them away. Other times we use tins in our small houses.” The tins are emptied and reused.
Cholera and diarrhea have been a common occurrence as a resident explains: “A woman in that house is hospitalised with her son because of this dirt, yesterday a woman in another house died because of diarrhea. Shall we all die all of us in this slum?”
It is for this reason that the World Toilet Day is marked every November to celebrate the importance of sanitation and raise awareness.
According to World Toilet Organisation 2.5 billion people (nearly half of the world’s population) don’t have access to toilets and proper sanitation, which risks their health, strips their dignity, and kills 1.8 million people, mostly children per year. One could have expected relevant ministries in Kenya to organise events especially in the affected areas to mark the day, but there was no such a sign even in Pumwani which has reverted to flying toilets.
CAPITAL FM
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