Kaptagat Water & Sanitation project
Project Details
Project location
Kaptagat slum village, Westlands, Nairobi
Duration
2007
Partner
Rotary club of Nairobi, Maji na Ufanisi
Beneficiaries
Food sellers, pedestrians and local residents. This project is to be run by Kaptagat Usafi Group, a local community based organization and is going to serve.
Expected usage
600 daily visits.
Purpose
Establishment of a water and sanitation micro-enterprise that will lead to improvement in public health and economic well being of women, men, youth and children of Kaptagat village and shoppers of Kangemi Market
Project Description
Kaptagat is a 30 year old village where 5,000 residents of multi-ethnic background live. Like the other informal settlements of Nairobi, it has inadequate, unsafe and inefficient water supply and sanitation systems. Land in some parts is owned by individuals in the form of free hold and in other parts classified as public (or common land).
There is only one semi permanent toilet block made of plastic portable cubicles: pit toilets and showers (but which are not connected to the water supply). This facility is in very poor operating condition although it is over-used, being the only real sanitation infrastructure available. The few other pit latrines in the area are in deplorable condition and most of them are commercialized. A sizable percentage of the population still uses the “flying toilet” system. Maji na Ufanisi is constructing a sanitation block that comprises 6 toilets, 1 urinal, 4 shower rooms, water tank, 1 water kiosk and 1 laundry and baby washing area. This is to managed by the CBO as a social enterprise.
Expected Outputs
- Over 500 persons will use suitable toilets and 300 persons will have a decent bath every day.
- The price of water in the villages will further reduce due to increased supply.
- Reduced average walking distances from an average 300m to 50metres for villagers and even more for traders in search of portable water and increased per capita water consumption.
- Reduced use of ‘flying toilets’ especially during the night.
- Better access by key community vulnerable groups (Children, women and the disabled).
- Enhanced community cohesion, democratic participation and project management skills necessary for sustainable communal initiatives.
- Reduced portable water contamination and better hygiene practices leading to reduced water borne disease prevalence.
- Increased income for beneficiary households emanating from employment in the facility, shareholding dividends, conducting business in relation to operation and management of the facility (exhausting pits, etc), new investment in small scale enterprises and growth of clientele in the market due to environmental improvement.
- Better environmental health awareness and food handling practices in the village and adjacent Kangemi Market.