Sanitation options for Kibera low-income area in Nairobi

Rapid urbanization of Kenya's capital has resulted in permanent slums and squatter settlements, characterized by poor housing, inadequate water supply, and insufficient drainage and sanitation. The Nairobi City Commission (NCC), realizing this permanence, has proposed an Informal Settlements Department to oversee improvements in housing and the implementation of conventional sewage systems. A socio-economic survey was carried out in 1992 in Kibera, a low-income slum area in the heart of Nairobi, with approximately 450,000 inhabitants and a 14 per cent growth rate, to determine options for sanitation facilities. Houses in Kibera are mainly mud walls and floors and corrugated iron roofs, with one family per room. The water supply is unreliable; some water points have remained dry for months. Ten per cent of the houses have no latrines of any sort, and neighbourhood pit latrines have an average of 60 people using each one. The study found that residents were willing to provide labour for construction of the services. The community members were capable of forming their own management groups. A participation chart is included, as well as discussions of responsibilities on all levels. The proposed sanitation options, including those for drainage and solid waste collection, are compared and contrasted.