It gained media hype and public criticism for being home to
"iron ladies", a twisted tale of reversed domestic violence but now
things are looking up for Nyeri in matters health. A report of WHO's Water and Sanitation
Program, rates Nyeri County as the cleanest.
With a 96% score card, the county is the best sanitized among 47
counties. Indeed gone are the days when sanitation was a private affair.
Something that Yolande Coombes, a program officer of WSP, says is putting
public sanitation at risk.
In the fight to keep diseases at bay and possibly eradicate
them, poor sanitation is costing the Kenyan tax payer 27 billion. Something
that is not a pill we would want to swallow lightly with the cost of living on
the rise. Nyeri is a good example of how good sanitation goes a long way in
ensuring we spend our money where it is most needed, development being key.
It comes as a shock that this being the 21st century, people
are still doing their toilet business like they are out roaming with the wild.
The 4 million grant for Nyeri County comes as relief for the residents and in
aiding in building of pit latrines.
While as a country we are busy making ends meet, driving the
economy to greater heights, health is usually one among many other things that
is sidelined until it becomes a national hazard. We choose to work in markets
that are filthy hoping the county council will look into it. Environment
campaigners tell you to promote a clean environment by making use of trash bins
but we don’t have the time so we continue to litter.
We fail to realize that our public outlook as a nation, a
county reflects highly on our values. Poor sanitation is a deal breaker in
engaging with investors. Kibera is a good example, the toilet project that was
a dead end because residents were treated to new toilets but no one took the
time to show them how to clean them so they became inoperable with time.
It is almost impossible to talk of sanitation without
bringing water to the mix. A lack of that precious resource, makes it
impossible to maintain a healthy environment. It is not uncommon to hear news
of hotels closed for not being up to par with regards to hygiene.
Poor sanitation is a little embarrassing, imagine a state
official being described in parliament as "governor so and so of the
dirtiest county". The task of public health systems has never been more
important with governments being tasked to ensure citizens have facilities to
ensure sanitation is a reality. Availability of public toilets and not just
that, but clean ones, is key to mapping the road towards a cleaner country.
In the wake of global warming and other environmental
hazards, we are being reminded again and again to take care of our environment
to ensure sustenance of resources, water being key. The recent advice by the National
Irrigation Board calls on Kenyans to take into account rain harvesting to
ensuring a sound water supply.
Nyeri aims to have enough toilets for residents by 2015.
With legislators in the area announcing a tighter observance of county laws
with regards to sanitation.
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