NAIROBI, Kenya, Jul 3 – Residents of Mathare are set to benefit from a Sh2 million water and sanitation project.
Speaking at the commissioning ceremony, East Africa Breweries Limited Head of Innovations Rosemary Mueke said, water which is a basic need is a catalyst for both economic and social development.
“We cannot de-link water from sanitation especially in the informal settlements. Finding a sustainable solution to the problems of our people underscores our commitment to the communities in which we operate,” she said.
Ecotact Chief Executive David Kuria whose company constructed the modern toilet facilities said the company’s aim is to provide appropriate ecological sanitation systems, in an effort of minimising water loss, contaminations and improving public health.
“These ablution blocks are environment friendly and use no water at all for flushing”.
The facility was constructed by Ecotact through funding from the EABL Foundation and supported by Athi Water Service Board and the National Environment Management Authority, NEMA.
Due to rapid growth and rural urban migration many Kenyans now live in informal settlements where water and sanitation facilities have become strained and unable to meet demand.
In addition to the current biting water shortages experienced across the country, residents of Mathare have had to contend with poor sanitation exposing them to serious health hazards and diseases such as Cholera.
Mathare was one of the first to benefit from a Sh32 million facility in February.
The initiative seeks to construct 20 such like facilities across Nairobi, Kakamega, Eldoret, Nanyuki, Karatina and Thika where public water and sanitation facilities are not adequate.
The facilities will be high quality and hygienically sound with all relevant fittings for male and female toilets and showers.
Provision of water and sanitation has been named as a key catalyst to meeting the Millennium Development Goals and Kenya’s Vision 2030.
In response, the Government has acknowledged the need to link private sector in development of sustainable, environment friendly water services and waste disposal.
Beyond the basic sanitation facilities for the public, the blocks will offer a water vending points at each facility with 10,000 litre storage tanks connected to the utility and with UV installation to ensure clean portable water to the residents of the informal settlements.
A water point (for public drinking points and fire extinguishers), public information points, shoeshine centers, newspaper and magazine vendors, and other viable add-on enterprises are also encompassed in the design.
Speaking at the same venue, EABL Foundation Manager Keith Obure revealed that all the various projects of Blocks of H2hope, which is in conjunction with the various municipalities, would be complete and commissioned in the next few months.
