Local Health Projects Improve Sanitation and Hygiene

the Ministry of Health, Kenya marked World Toilet Day at the Kalobeyei Refugee Camp in Turkana County — using the occasion to scale up sanitation interventions under an initiative called Epuka Uchafu, Afya Nyumbani. The Ministry underscored the urgent need for safe and dignified toilet facilities, especially given that millions of Kenyans still lack proper sanitation. The push reflects a broader government effort to ensure basic hygiene and sanitation for all.
In a separate but complementary drive, a major sanitation and hygiene upgrade project, the Western Kenya Sanitization Project (WKSP), was rolled out recently — a five-year, KSh 2.8 billion effort funded by USAID, targeting hundreds of thousands of households across eight western counties. This initiative aims to expand market-based sanitation solutions and improve hygiene standards in rural and peri-urban areas, addressing long-standing gaps in water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) infrastructure.
Closer to Murang’a County, in November 2025, a project supported via the World Bank’s Water Fund delivered 200 modern toilets to residents in Kangema Sub-County (specifically Kangema, Gakira and Kahuro towns). The new toilets are designed to reduce the incidence of water-borne diseases — particularly during the rainy season when flooding and poor drainage have typically led to spikes in illness — and to raise hygiene standards in the community. Beneficiaries have reported that these toilets are easier to clean and maintain compared to traditional pit latrines, which translates to improved household-level cleanliness and health.
Meanwhile, in rural Migori County, a long-running initiative under the Community Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) approach has enabled the county to be officially certified as open-defecation free, after latrine coverage rose from roughly 46% in 2014 to 92% by 2024 — with nearly all households now having toilets, and widespread availability of hand-washing facilities. This achievement dramatically improves sanitation and hygiene standards, thereby helping reduce diseases linked to poor sanitation and unsafe water.