The Green Belt Movement is investing in a new ecofriendly toilet technology that replaces the traditional pit latrines in a bid to increase access to sanitation facilities in schools within rural areas in Nakuru County.
Eco-bio toilet is an odorless toilet that does not need flushing and can serve a school for indefinite period as it consists of an aerobic digester system through which waste is quickly broken down by bacteria.
Eco-bio toilet project coordinator John Waweru Ngahu says the sanitary facility is designed to be constructed even from locally available and recycled materials such as discarded plastics and steel which ease the cost of construction yet provide s improved control for diseases.
“The way the loo is designed, it will never get filled up so the issue of digging everywhere after every few years will not arise,” says Ngahu
“The shortage of toilets and proper sanitation public primary schools is still a major concern. Many lack access to adequate sanitation, which increases the risk of water contamination and diseases.
“In the 2017-2018 period the county reported 300,000 cases of diarrhea diseases and 600,000 upper respiratory tract infections all caused by poor sanitation. This project has the potential to bring down the disease burden in the county,” says Dr. Kochei
By Anne Mwale
