Community members and leaders near signage declaring 24 villages open defecation-free
Trans Nzoia has moved closer to achieving a key United Nations healthcare goal after declaring 24 villages open defecation-free.
The achievement means all households in the 24 villages have toilets and use clean water, helping curb the spread of preventable diseases.
The county health and sanitation department declared the villages open defecation free (ODF) following a sustained community-led sanitation campaign in Cherangany and Kwanza subcounties.
Trans Nzoia County Director of Medical Services Isaac Kisiangani described the achievement as a major milestone and an honour to the communities involved.
His speech was read by director of pharmaceuticals David Wesanya.
“It is a true honour to celebrate the milestone that this community has worked so hard to achieve; the declaration of 24 villages as open defecation free,” Kisiangani said.
Wesanya described the achievement as a major step towards protecting families from preventable diseases.
“Open defecation is not simply an inconvenience. It is a threat to the health of our children, our mothers and our elders,” he said.
Wesanya commended residents for constructing pit latrines, installing handwashing facilities and abandoning unsafe practices.
“By ending open defecation, these villages have taken a bold and life-saving step forward. A healthy community is an economically viable community,” he said.
County director of public health and neglected tropical diseases coordinator Norbert Musundi said sanitation was a constitutional right and linked the initiative to Kenya’s Vision 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals.
“This is in line with Vision 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals. We are committed to achieving UN SDG Goal 6.2 to end open defecation by 2030,” he said.
Musundi said Cherangany subcounty now had 15 ODF villages, adding that faecal-oral and neglected tropical disease indicators could be reduced to insignificant levels if the remaining villages also attained ODF status.
He called for collaboration among healthcare stakeholders, saying achieving ODF status required teamwork rather than the efforts of a single person or department.
Musundi acknowledged the support of Wash Alliance Kenya, African Institute for Health and Development (AIHD), Amref Kenya, chiefs, elders and community health promoters.
“I want to specially recognise the community health promoters, who walked from home to home, sometimes facing resistance, sometimes facing ridicule, but who never gave up,” he said.
Residents welcomed the declaration, saying the campaign had improved hygiene practices.
“We were encouraged to dig toilets, use water and soap after visiting the toilet, and adopt better hygiene practices. This has changed our lives,” Anne Wanjala said.
Alfred Ekasete said the achievement would inspire neighbouring communities to improve sanitation and reduce disease.
The villages declared ODF are Kapkarwa Central and Township, Nyabioto, Silanga, Kamatony, Sango, Simotwo B and C, Cheptabach, Sach 4, Kaptebengwo and Seum in Cherangany.
Others are Kapkai, Mutua-Milimani, Bondeni, Katukumwok, Zuberi B, Tonyoto West, Tonyoto East, Mayanja, Sirende A, Sirende B and Asega B in Kwanza subcounty.
