Effectiveness of Eco-Toilets’ Management in Public Places, Case of Kigali City

As Kigali city is growing fast, sanitation becomes a challenge and finding a public toilet facility often is a challenge. The Rwanda Environment Care (REC) Association was initiated by some graduates from Kigali Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), with the main objective to bring a sustainable and innovative solution to water and sanitation issues. REC came up with new ideas and innovations in water, sanitation and hygiene, including the introduction of ecological toilets in the year 2006. The new technology allows the recycling of human excreta into fertilizers. These eco-toilets provide a source of fertilizers for agriculture and gardens in Kigali and around.

The initiative started as a pilot project and has been implemented in collaboration with Kigali City council. It proved to be a solution in public places and car parking. Currently, REC is managing 4 public toilets in Kigali, employing full time caretakers for this purpose. The money from users is used by REC for daily operation and maintenance of facilities. With the profits made from the existing facilities, REC is planning to extend its activities to other locations visited by many people (markets, car parks, etc). Some public and private institutions, such as the Rwanda Revenue Authority, the Ministry of Immigration and Emigration, and the Rwanda Tea Society, already asked REC to build these eco toilets on their premises and in some instances to manage the new sanitation facilities.

2. Effectiveness management public eco-toilets.pdf (492.3 kB)