By Achola Mathews
There is need for more interventions and partnerships from both the public and the private sectors in dealing with lack of proper sanitation systems in Bungoma County schools.
Speaking at Sawan Hotel during a stakeholders meeting in Bungoma town, Mr. Caleb Omondi, the Ministry of Education County Quality Assurance and Standards Director noted that through such programmes, the rate of school attendance will improve hence good results amongst students more so from public primary and secondary schools.
According to Mr. Omondi, through the WASH Sanitation Project, learners will get access to improved hygiene conditions at
school.
He noted that many learning institutions are still facing challenges in terms of getting clean water points and storage
facilities.
Omondi said that every learner in a boarding school requires at least 20 litres while those in day school require five
litres each on a school going day, something that will be a great success only through resource mobilzation from various key players in the Ministry of Education, Health Department, County Government of Bungoma, Non-Governmental Organizations, like USAID-KENYA, AMREF Health Africa, Vast guard and many more.
“Girls should have one pit latrine for 25 students, 30 for Boys, a functional urinal unit that is friendly even to the
Special Needs Learners and proper waste management systems and disposal mechanisms,” said Omondi.
On his part, Mr. Alfred Nyongesa Aureh, a Public Health Officer and Mr Solomon Mwaniki in who is Charge of Neglected Tropical
Diseases at Amref-Health Africa, Western Region noted that the sanitation interventions will play a pivotal role in tackling the prevalence of Water Borne diseases such as Bilharzia and other infections such as Ring Worms and Jiggers infestation amongst students.
Mr. Mwaniki indicated that statics show that Bungoma County has a prevalence of 4.6% in Bilharzia infections amongst students and it
should be put below 2%, hence a total of 560,000 learners are lacking clean drinking water in the South Sub-Saharan Africa.
The Wash project is implemented in Bungoma, Vihiga, Kisumu, Kakamega, Busia and Trans-Nzoia counties in the western region targeting
school children to improve on their sanitation for quality education.
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