Kakuma – 19th November 2024 (Public Communications and Media Relations)
Turkana County joined the global community in commemorating the annual World Toilet Day for the year 2024 with a renewed commitment to improving latrine coverage and eradicating open defecation by 2030.
According to the 2019 Kenya Census, the open defecation rate in Turkana stands at 68.1%. Diarrhoea remains the second leading cause of morbidity in the county, particularly among children under five years old, largely due to low latrine coverage and usage.
Marked every 19th of November, this year’s theme, “Sanitation for Peace”, emphasized the critical role of safe toilets and sanitation systems in creating a fairer, healthier, and more peaceful world.
Speaking during the celebration in Kakuma, Chief Officer for Preventive and Promotive Health, Janerose Tioko, stressed the importance of household sanitation and hygiene in reducing disease prevalence.
“Poor sanitation leads to diseases. Together, we must prioritize proper sanitation to safeguard our health,” she said.
Tioko encouraged the community to adopt good personal and environmental hygiene practices and urged residents to construct more latrines, particularly in wards with low coverage.
Turkana West Sub-County Medical Officer of Health, Joel Lochor, provided an overview of the sanitation status in the sub-county, 229 villages in refugee settlements in Kakuma Refugee Camp and Kalobeyei Settlement were open defecation-free (ODF).
This 92% coverage in the refugee community has led to no cholera outbreaks in the past four year.
However, in the host community, only 163 villages—representing 70%—had achieved ODF status.
Lochor appreciated the efforts of partners but called for increased collaboration, particularly in Letea Ward, where ODF coverage stands at just 34%.
A member of a Sanitation Committee in Kapi America village within Kakuma Municipality, Rita Ekidor shared her community’s progress. She reported that households without latrines had dug their own and also waste pits for proper disposal of household waste.
Community Health Promoters (CHPs) from both the host and communities engaged the audience with songs and skits highlighting the importance of using toilets.
The event was attended by representatives from several partner organizations, including Peace Winds Japan, Catholic Relief Services, International Rescue Committee, IsraAid, Team and Team International, ADRA Kenya, LOKADA, TUPADO, Kenya Red Cross Society, Plan International, and Turkana Christian Development Mission, among others.
