Nairobi City County Government is seeking partnerships to enhance provision of sewer and sanitation services within informal settlements.
County Director in charge of Water and Sanitation Mario Kainga said the county government is keen to eliminate open defecation by 2030.
Kainga said delivering sanitation service requires partnerships and collaborations between non-state actors and government both at the county and national level.
“We are aware that investments in sewer and sanitation are not adequate to serve all people especially those in informal areas,” he stated.
He noted that the current sewer and sanitation services in Nairobi cover only 60 per cent of the population.
“We are mapping out all partners and establishing a framework of coordination to ensure there is coherence and eliminate duplication of services,” he said.
He pointed out that the national and county governments are working on a policy to guide interventions to achieve affordable, reasonable and safe sanitation infrastructure for all as envisaged in the Constitution.
Kainga made the remarks in Kibra, Nairobi, during the launch of a partnership with Fresh Life.
Fresh Life works with municipalities and urban residents to develop and scale safe, citywide inclusive and financially sustainable sanitation solutions.
David Manore, the acting technical director at Nairobi Water and Sewerage Company welcomed the partnership saying it will go a long way in providing sewer and sanitation to residents in informal settlements.
“We are looking forward to extending these kind of partnerships to all our informal settlements in the city,” Manore said.
Anthony Mulinge, the managing director of Fresh Life, said much needs to be done to improve sanitation, especially in the informal settlements.
“In Kibera, there is still a huge need in terms of people who do not have access. It is for this reason we have partnered with the county government to provide these solutions across the whole of Nairobi,” Mulinge said.
He noted that they have similar projects in Mukuru kwa Njenga, Mukuru kwa Ruben, Mathare and Viwandani.
