Kenya Water for Health Organisation (KWAHO) has established that over 50 per cent of Tana River County population do not have pit latrines or toilets and they answer their call of nature in the bushes.
Speaking to the press at Hola County Referral Hospital KWAHO Tana River Coordinator Mr. William Mwango, said according to a survey conducted by his organisation in the last three years in the Tana River County, the county is losing about Sh257million per year due to poor sanitation.
Mwango said starting from this year, his organisation will start building pit latrines in 120 villages in the county in order to improve sanitation to reduce cases of cholera and malaria.
He blamed poor sanitation on the local community’s habits of refusing to use one pit latrine with in-laws saying it is against their customs hence, preferring to go to the bush.
The Coordinator said KWAHO would spent about Sh13million from DANIDA and Water Works Trust Fund from 2023 to 2024 to construct the 120 pit latrines and also build shallow wells in the County to improve sanitation in the area.
Mwango appealed to the local residents to disregard some habits and cultural beliefs that contributed to poor sanitation.
By Simon Guruba
