Kibera being the second largest slum in Africa, still grapples with health and sanitation challenges. It still lacks basic facilities such as proper toilets which have forced some of the residents to resort to ‘flying toilets’, as they are popularly referred to.
According to a report released by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Cape Town in 2006, two in three people in Kibera identify with the ‘fl ying toilet’ as a primary way of disposal available to them. However, this has seen a great improvement over time. According to the Government’s report, 99 per cent of Nairobi residents have access to sanitation services.
More still needs to be done in terms of the availability of such sustainable health and sanitation facilities. Several projects have been launched by di erent NonGovernmental Organizations (NGOs). This includes the establishment of public toilets at designated places for people to utilize them so as to improve their health and sanitation.
However, at some level, it is still a challenge for those who cannot a ord the charges at the facilities. “We have introduced a modern toilet known as Pee Poo plastic bag in Kibera. It is a single use, self-sanitizing and fully biodegradable toilet that prevents faeces from contaminating the immediate area of contact and the surrounding,” said Duncan Makau, Pee Poo fi eld o cer Makau said that they are now supporting 58 schools in Kibera and other 14 areas including Raila and Soweto.
He pointed out that the project is mainly focused in schools since majority of them have no access to toilets or are extremely in unhygienic conditions. Makau noted that this will go a long way in improving the children’s health standards and create a conducive environment for learning.
He said that their aim is to ensure high standards of hygiene are maintained in schools. “After use, the Pee Poo are collected and managed through collection systems. The used Pee Poo are collected by attendants to drop points in their locality,’’ Makau noted.
