Nairobi county mark World Toilet Day with push for cleaner public facilities

L-R: Senior Brand Manager Dettol and Veet Reckitt East Africa, Margaret Ngea, County Chief Officer Public Health, Tom Nyakaba; and Director of Environmental Health Margaret Sunguti during the commemoration of World Toilet Day held on October 19, 2025, in Dagoretti Sub-County. /HANDOUT

Harpic has partnered with the Nairobi County Government to promote proper hygiene and cleaner shared toilets as Kenya joined the world in marking World Toilet Day on Wednesday.

The event was held at the Dagoretti Deputy County Commissioner’s compound, where Reckitt—the company behind the Harpic brand — demonstrated practical cleaning methods for public toilets in high-traffic areas such as markets and busy neighbourhoods.

This year’s World Toilet Day theme, “We’ll Always Need the Toilet,” guided Harpic’s expanded efforts to strengthen sanitation in informal settlements.

The company announced the installation of eco-toilet units in Nyalenda, an informal settlement in Kisumu, in partnership with Saniwise Technology, a social business under the Reckitt Catalyst Initiative.

The first six units have already been completed, with five additional units currently under construction. The eco-toilets are built for long-term sustainability and feature proper waste management systems to ensure high hygiene standards.

Beyond infrastructure, the initiative includes a hygiene education programme targeting schools in Nyalenda. The programme is designed to help children build lifelong sanitation habits and spread positive hygiene behaviour at home.

Community Health Promoters are also being trained to visit households and offer families practical guidance on maintaining cleaner environments and improving sanitation.

Reckitt says its goal is to promote sustainable behaviour change while supporting environmentally responsible sanitation solutions. Through Harpic, the company has constructed more than 190 toilets in informal settlements across the country.

For the past eight years, it has also run a nationwide door-to-door programme that teaches sanitation habits and improves access to Harpic products through discounted sales.

In Nairobi, the Harpic team conducted a community clean-up and distributed cleaning products to help residents maintain their facilities and protect themselves from sanitation-related diseases.

“We are delighted to take part in this year’s World Toilet Day here in Dagoretti. As champions of toilet hygiene, it is encouraging to see community members eager to learn how to keep their toilets clean and safeguard their health,” said Mustapha Bugaje, Country Manager, Reckitt Kenya.

“This year’s theme truly reflects what Harpic stands for. Toilets are essential for everyone, everywhere. Sanitation is crucial for public health, dignity and environmental protection — but it only works when facilities are kept hygienic, and that is where Harpic plays an important role.”

World Toilet Day is a United Nations observance that calls for urgent action to address the global sanitation crisis and speed up progress towards Sustainable Development Goal 6 — water and sanitation for all by 2030.

Across Nairobi and other major towns, millions depend on shared toilets, especially in informal settlements. Limited access to clean facilities increases the risk of diseases linked to poor sanitation.

The World Health Organization estimates that 3.4 billion people globally lack safely managed sanitation services, exposing them to illnesses such as cholera, typhoid, intestinal worms and Hepatitis B. Only 58 per cent of the world’s population currently uses safely managed sanitation systems