Nairobi city in a mess as public toilets shortage hits

By HUDSON GUMBIHI

NAROBI, KENYA: If you have to answer that call of nature within the CBD, you have several options. You could pop into a hotel, café, pub, restaurant or an office. But when you are received with the ‘no admittance’ sign because you are not a ‘potential client’, you have to go to one of the less than 20 public toilets available in the city centre.

And it is during this crucial time of need that more than a million Nairobians who go to the CBD during weekdays, get desperate. The public toilets are congested, dirty and sometimes closed. The only other places available are the dark alleys, deserted lanes or the flowerbeds. But relieving oneself in these places is illegal and a health hazard. This is a predicament many Nairobians face today.

It is now certain that Nairobi may be inching closer to a public health crisis following a shortage of public toilets across the city. Yet, an attempt to forestall the imminent public sanitation problem in the last few months has turned messy as county bosses fight over who should control the lucrative waste industry.

Apparently, a tussle over who should enter into a public-private partnership with City Hall to manage about 20 public toilets in Nairobi is bogging down the county government.

In the meantime, commercial buildings, restaurants and offices have to shoulder the responsibility of providing toilet services to a population  increasing by the day.

Already, thousands of Nairobians in the CBD have found relief in dark alleys, the pavements and flowerbeds, increasing the risk of disease outbreaks and raising the cost of cleaning the city.

The eyesore especially during morning hours illustrates the magnitude of the problem in a city which has for years not had proper toilet services to cater for the needs of the ever-swelling population.

The situation is worsening since some eateries and entertainment spots have no toilets for clients. City Hall is worried that health standards in the city have dropped due to the shortage of loos.

According to county Medical Officer of Public Health Robert Ayisi, toilet and hygiene issues are a big concern especially in the CBD. He said some restaurants licensed as take-away cafes are having sit-in customers yet they do not have toilets.

“You are right on the toilet issue and general health of residents. In fact we are planning a big operation between public health and the inspectorate department, but the plan is still in the formative stages. It is actually a problem especially in the CBD where some establishments do not have toilets,” said Ayisi.

 Those who provide washrooms spare little time and money to keep the loos clean.

Some patrons fear venturing beyond the doors of the toilets because of the unwelcoming hygiene standards.

Most of the Gents and Ladies have no water, lighting, tissue paper and soap. Some business premises have toilets but entry is restricted – one has to request for keys from the head cleaner. Such an arrangement is an embarrassment to some clients who find it difficult to imagine that people around them are aware of their private social behaviours.

An owner of one of the restaurants said the shortage of toilets had a spillover effect in their premises claiming idlers walk into their establishments to relieve themselves.

“That is the reason we prefer keeping our toilets under lock and key because some people mess the place. Who is paying for the extra cost of having to clean them every now and then? Something has to be done. The more toilets they (public authorities) establish, the better for our city,” said the man who did not want his name known or the identity of his establishment.

The public toilets unfortunately operate on scheduled timeframes – they are hardly open during the night. In some circumstances during the day, some people simply walk into offices uninvited to relieve themselves.

Nelson Githaiga, the chairman of Nairobi Business Hawkers Association, said his members are hardest hit by the toilet shortage, citing River Road where there is only one lavatory reserved for the public yet the area has a high concentration of people during the weekdays.

He said the deficiency poses a health risk for the city. He however added that public toilets are cleaner than in the past years when they had been abandoned by the City Council and were occupied by street boys.

In mid 2000s, the council sought public-private partnership for vital services like toilets to improve their management. There are about 10 public toilets run by a private firm, Ecotact, while City Hall manages another 10.

Githaiga said the Sh10 charged on users in both the publicly and privately managed toilets is beyond the reach of many.

“However, the service is good but they are not enough, and unfortunately there is no indication that more toilets will be constructed. You see in bars and hotels, you can’t access the toilets unless you are either eating, drinking tea or beer,” he said.

Paul Maina, a taxi operate said sometimes they are forced to persevere until they get back to their homes. “Or alternatively, when I take a client to a hotel, that is where I go to relieve myself,” he added.

Ecotact introduced the Iko toilets in 2008 to ameliorate the toilet problem, but at a fee for those wishing to enjoy clean, friendly and convenient facilities.

The cost of sanitation is subsidised by rent for retail shops built into the structure of the Iko toilets and shoeshine kiosks erected within.

Other advertisements are placed inside and around these facilities that also house M-Pesa shops. Some of these toilets are found in Uhuru Park, City Park, Jevanjee Gardens, on Aga Khan Walk, and near the National Archives.

The rest of the toilets are still under the management of City Hall while those in markets like Marikiti are run by welfare associations.

However, the five-year lease of Iko toilet expired last June triggering boardroom turf wars over a new contract between City Hall officials and private individuals eyeing to control the lucrative business.

A senior official while hinting infighting on who should be given the lease said the 10 toilets owned by the county government are generating a lot of money.

“There are a lot of things going on. Some camps want Kuria out after discovering that the project is a goldmine,” said the official while referring to David Kuria, the brains behind the Iko toilet concept.

The official said on a single day, some of the Iko toilets generate an income of Sh50,000. “If I leased one of them to you, you will quit this business of writing newspapers altogether,” he said.

When sought for audience about matter, especially on the shortage of toilets and the expired lease, the director of environment at City Hall, Leah Oyake Ombis, turned the interview into a nightmare as she acted abrasively, not willing to give a direct response.

“You must come here with scientific information, not political rumours picked from the streets. I don’t understand what you are talking about,” she charged declining to discuss the status of the Iko toilets lease accusing this writer of having vested interest.

“Why do you want to know about the lease? What interests do you have? The lease does not belong to one individual,” she declared ending the interview.