Sonko lifts charges for Nairobi public toilets

There are also plans to revert all the 68 public toilets in the city back to the Nairobi County Government. [Courtesy]

You will soon be able to access public toilets for free.

This is following a directive by Governor Mike Sonko which aims at ridding the toilets business in Nairobi of corruption and poor mismanagement.

There are also plans to revert all the 68 public toilets in the city back to the Nairobi County Government for ease of operations and management.

Governor Sonko on Wednesday warned that he would ask the handlers to hand over the toilets if they did not stop in-fighting and corrupt under dealings.

The Governor accused those in charge of the toilets of corruption and mismanagement saying that Nairobians should not be charged for simply seeking to answer a call of nature.  

He also stated that the County would identify a private contractor- preferably the one handling toilets at the airports- to take charge of the city toilets.

Sonko who was speaking in Nairobi, committed to be paying a private company yearly to be providing the service in turn making it free for Nairobians to access the toilets

“Those running the toilets have initiated a culture of corruption which has even led to fights. The should surrender the toilets to the county because we will not allow our residents to suffer at their hands,” added Sonko.

Currently, the toilets are run through public-private partnerships.

In May, at least two gunshots were fired in downtown, Nairobi, in a feud over who should run public toilets in the city.

Tom Makale, who runs several public toilets, fired in the air and flushed out youths who were already charging customers after the expiry of his contract.

Officers from Kamukunji Police Station rushed to the scene and disarmed him before a surging crowd threatened to frog march and lynch him for shooting without provocation.

 Makale was whisked to the station under tight security and booked under OB 35/11/05/2018 and later arraigned in court on over charges of misusing a fire arm.

 Makale has been running the toilets until the county government gave him a notice to vacate the toilets earlier this year so that they could be given to youth groups.

 A letter by then acting County Secretary, Leboo Ole Morintat on January 8, 2018, asked Alikar Systems Ltd, Mr. Makale's firm, to vacate the facilities.

 “It has been decided that henceforth, the toilets will be managed by youth groups as a way of employment creation and youth empowerment," said the letter.

Youth groups have also laid claim to the business and have in the recent past stormed toilets at Muthurwa, OTC and Bus Station and assumed control.