The Lake Victoria Basin Commission (LVBC) has secured Sh1.6 billion funding from the German Development Bank (KfW) and the European Union (EU) to improve sanitation in Kisumu City’s Manyatta informal settlement.
Through the initiative which is under the agency’s Integrated Water Resources Management Programme (IWRMP), 550 modern toilet blocks would be constructed in Manyatta A to enhance access to proper sanitation.
The sewerage system in the area shall also be extended by 15 kilometers in efforts geared towards eliminating emittance of raw effluents into Lake Victoria.
According to the Programme Coordinator Arsene Aime Mukubwa, LVBC which is an East Africa Community (EAC) agency mandated to coordinate sustainable development and management of the Lake Victoria Basin has received Sh800 million to kick start the works, with the additional Sh800 million which has been negotiated set to be released next year.
This, he said, was part of the larger Lake Victoria Basin Integrated Water Resources management Programme, a regional effort to enhance water quality in Lake Victoria which is a lifeline for millions of East Africa residents.
Speaking during World Toilet Day Celebrations at Kotetni Primary School in Kisumu West Sub-County, Mukubwa said the investment would not only address the sanitation challenges in Manyatta and Kisumu but also go a long way in improving the overall water quality in Lake Victoria.
“Today we have been told about the challenge of open defecation in Kisumu which stands at 4.8%. This programme targets to address this challenge which contributes to the pollution of the lake,” he said.
LVBC will continue to seek partnerships with other organisations to scale up the initiative and improve on sanitation and access to clean toilets not only in Kenya but in the East Africa region to attain the overall objectives of the project, he added.
“The lake continues to experience rapid pollution particularly from urban settlements such as Kisumu (Kenya), Kampala (Uganda), Mwanza (Tanzania), and Kigali (Rwanda). That is why we came up with this programme to help address this challenge,” he said.
Speaking during the same occasion, Kisumu County Director of Public Health Fredrick Oluoch lauded the partnership saying it was in line with the county government’s plan to scale up access to good toilets and sanitation to 70% by the year 2027.
“Governor Prof. Anyang Nyong’os manifesto states that we are supposed to increase access to proper sanitation across the county to 70% by the year 2027. By the end of the year 2022, we had reached 33.1% and I am sure with these kinds of initiatives, we shall reach the target,” he said.
Open defecation was still a challenge in some parts of the county adding that the county government was working with partners to scale up non improved and improved toilets in the area, he added.
By Chris Mahandara
