- The Fresh Life toilets will increase sanitation coverage in the greater Mombasa County, specifically targeting people in low-income communities and public schools.
- It will accommodate a maximum of 35 people per week before its disposal.
- The fresh life toilets will use sawdust instead of water after it’s used.
The Mombasa Water and Sanitation Company Limited (MOWASCO) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Fresh Life Toilet company to improve sanitation in informal settlements and Public Schools within Mombasa county.
Fresh Life Company and MOWASCO will survey to map out all the informal settlements to determine where there are greatest needs to set up the water-less, container-based toilet facilities.
Addressing the Media at Mary Cliff girls primary school, Antony Mulinge,the Managing Director of Fresh Life, said the partnership seeks to reduce the sanitation gap for dwellers in the informal settlements and crowed public schools.
“We believe that with our mandate to provide non-sewer sanitation, we will increase sanitation coverage in the greater Mombasa County, specifically targeting people in low-income communities and public schools.
The partnership will give dignity to the sanitation problem that currently exists. We also seek to reduce sickness that is a result of poor sanitation, such as cholera and diarrhea. We look forward to create employment and economically empowering the people that live in the communities,” said Mulinge.
Mulinge said the fresh life toilets will use sawdust instead of water after its use and it can only accommodate a maximum of 35 people per week before its disposal.
“The waste should be empty after every one week,since its a non sewer toilets”,he said.
MOWASCO Managing Director (MD) Abdirahim Farah says they are excited to cement the partnership that will offer a non-sewer solution to the people of Mombasa.
“Around 70 percent of Mombasa is classified as a low-income informal sector. We need to have deliberate targeted approaches to make sure our people live in dignified ways; this is in line with the manifesto of the governor to improve our access to fresh water and sanitation facilities,” said Farah.
MOWASCO is also in the process of reviving the Kipevu wastewater treatment plant to treat 17,000 m3 of wastewater and constructing 15 ablution blocks across the county.
“By providing this container-based solution, it’s well suited for the people living in this particular community,” he said, adding that youth will be employed to collect and safely dispose of the waste at the Kipevu wastewater treatment plant for recycling.
The container-based toilets are equipped with hand washing stations, franchised to community members living in urban informal settlements and serviced with regular safe waste collection. The partnership will provide non-sewer toilets to over 600,000 people in slums of Mombasa.
Farah added that the fresh life toilet will increase the level of good hygiene in schools and children will be safe from sickness and diseases if used well.
County Executive Committee Member (CECM)-Department of Water, Natural Resources and Climate Change Resilience Emily Achieng said that the Fresh Life toilets address the sanitation crisis in informal settlements by providing toilet facilities in schools and informal settlements.
Achieng emphasized that the County Government’s dedication to achieving its development agenda, which includes improving access to safe water and sanitation. “This partnership is holistic and comes with multiple benefits for the Mombasa residents. Fresh Life Toilets are water less and in an increasingly water-scarce environment we are pleased to be providing a solution that will save on water used through pour flush toilets,” she said.
The CECM department of water ,Natural resources added that the waste management services will also play a key role in improving public health and environmental conservation by ensuring that sanitation waste that would otherwise end up in the environment or ocean, is safely treated or disposed of, while also reducing the carbon footprint.
“We have therefore adopted a multi-pronged approach to ensure that we reach everyone in Mombasa. Additionally, we are set to create direct and indirect job opportunities through this partnership while reducing diseases,” she concluded.
