WASH News East Africa
News feed maintained by information specialists from IRC and partners.
Uganda: One hundred and forty Arua boreholes abandoned
06 Aug 10
Boreholes worth over sh2.8 billion have been abandoned in Arua district after they broke down, the deputy chief administrative officer, Martin Gwoktho, has revealed. He said out of the 706 boreholes in the district, 146 are non-functional, while about 562 are operational but may break down any time. “There is need to improve the status [...]
Monitoring the Sanitation Status of African Cities
02 Aug 10
A discussion workshop entitled “Monitoring the Sanitation Status of African Cities”, supported by the UK Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), was held at the University of Surrey (UK) on 29th June 2010, to discuss the accuracy of current estimates of sanitation status in African cities, and how monitoring procedures might be improved. Participants [...]
Uganda: African leaders told to improve sanitation, provide clean water
20 Jul 10
African leaders have been urged to address issues relating to sanitation and water as one of the major components in reducing maternal and infant mortality in the continent. Yunia Musaazi, the East African policy advisor for Water Aid, said for African countries to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), it was important to prevent deaths [...]
Kenya: State chided for slow reforms in the water sector
13 Jul 10
The Government should speed up reforms in the water sector to enhance supply in the country and improve the provision of sanitation services to avoid water-related conflicts in future, the Institute of Certified Public Secretaries has said. The Institute further notes that proper and efficient water and sanitation infrastructure in the country is among the [...]
Uganda: Korea to build water project in Arua
13 Jul 10
The Korean Government is to fund the construction of a water and sewage system in Arua town. A total of $2m (about sh2b) has been provided for the project through the Korea International Cooperation Agency. Gabriel Aridru, who lobbied for the funding, said the money would be used to conduct a feasibility study, draw a [...]
Africa: project helps local governments contribute to water and sanitation MDGs
12 Jul 10
A two-year project launched in March 2010 is helping local governments in 15 African countries contribute to the achievement of the Water and Sanitation Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). United Cities and Local Governments for Africa (UCLGA) and ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability – Africa are partners in the European Commission (EC) funded project ‘Local [...]
Kenya: school sanitation – a common challenge (video)
11 Jul 10
Students at the Ramba High School, Ndori, Kenya have to remove their clothes when using the latrines. They do this avoid the strong smell of the disinfectant sticking to their school uniform. Every year, after the rains, new pit latrines have to be constructed. To improve sanitation conditions at schools like Ramba High School, GTZ’s [...]
Kenya: Fear of attack leaves women prisoners in their homes
08 Jul 10
Women and girls in Nairobi’s slums live under the constant threat of sexual violence, leaving them often too scared to leave their houses to use communal toilet and bathroom facilities, Amnesty International said in a report released today. Insecurity and Indignity: Women’s experiences in the Slums of Nairobi, Kenya details how the failure of the [...]
Uganda: The sad story of Lake Victoria
06 Jul 10
Waste management remains a problem in Uganda. This has caused pollution of the environment including the soil and water. Edwin Nuwagaba looks at how pollution has impacted on Lake Victoria and how environmentalists are dealing with the problem. Back in my secondary school days, we were taught the properties of water. We were told by [...]
Kenya: Endless row in water ministry threatening crucial reforms
06 Jul 10
A row over the management of water services in Kenya involving ministry headquarters is causing disquiet in the sector, which is undergoing a crucial phase of reforms. The reforms, that began about a decade ago following the enactment of the water policy in 1999 and later, the Water Act (2002), saw the creation of eight [...]
