Investigating quality of shared sanitation facilities in informal settlements of Kisumu, Kenya

The sanitation target was not met during the MDG period, and as the SDG period begins, the goal still remains adequacy and equity in sanitation. Due to lack of space, achieving adequacy in informal settlements is challenging, and sharing of sanitation facilities is common. One concern with shared facilities is difficulty in cleanliness, and a lacuna exists in shared sanitation quality in informal settlements. This study investigated the quality of shared sanitation in informal settlements of Kisumu city in Kenya. Data was collected by interviewing users, and by inspecting sanitation facilities for aspects of quality. The facilities were all pit latrines, most of which offered privacy, but were not hygienically clean. Cleanliness deteriorated with more households sharing, indicating that less attention was given to keeping shared facilities clean. Improvement strategies in informal settlements should not only focus on access but also target group behaviour and practices among shared sanitation users.