Shame of toilets in public schools

Frank Primary School in Lwandeti, Lugari sub-county is facing imminent closure over lack of classrooms and toilets.

According to head teacher Josephine Imbandu, teachers sit under a tree that serves as the staff room and when it rains, they shelter in one of the classrooms together with pupils.

“We have 330 pupils -185 girls and 145 boys. They share six pit latrines that are almost full and we are afraid of a cholera outbreak,” said Ms Imbandu.

“The pit latrines are now producing an odour, which has made learning difficult.”

In the same village, two schools - Savala and Lumakanda Township primary schools — have been closed by the Department of Public Health for lack of toilets. Such is the state of sanitation facilities in public schools.

Last week, the only pit latrine at Our Lady of Victory Primary School in Rongai, Nakuru County, was declared unsafe after it developed cracks and partly caved in.

“We have 40 pupils with special needs who can’t comfortably use the normal latrines. Their special latrine is now a danger to them as it could sink any time after it developed huge cracks,” said school head Anne Gathiru.

In the same week, Laikipia Governor Ndiritu Muriithi stunned members of the public when he snatched a microphone from primary school children who sang a song asking his administration to provide toilets.

Mr Muriithi reportedly stood up from his seat, went straight to the band leader of Tharua Primary School and took away the microphone.

His action created an uproar across the county and the governor later apologised to the school.

“It is immoral of the governor to reprimand pupils who innocently requested him to build a toilet for their school through a song.

Teachers’ wrath

“The governor needs to go personally to the school and unconditionally apologise to the pupils, teacher and parents, failing which he will face the teachers’ wrath,” said Jacinta Negwa, the Kenya National Union of Teachers women’s representative from Laikipia.

Last week, Ebwambwa Primary School in Lurambi constituency was closed indefinitely over lack of toilets. The toilets were destroyed by the recent heavy rains. In a letter to the school, Shieywe Ward Public Health Officer Annette Alusa said the school could not continue to operate without pit latrines.

At least 10 latrines used by girls and eight meant for boys sank, leaving the students to share toilets with their teachers.

Elsewhere, a newly-opened Early Childhood Development centre in West Yimbo ward in Bondo sub-county risks being closed for lack of toilets. This will affect more than 100 learners at the centre.

According to Kanyibok Primary School head teacher Isaiah Mawira, the unhygienic situation at the centre was a time bomb and could lead to a disease outbreak. The teachers use the toilet in the primary school but pupils are instructed to relieve themselves in the field.

“These are children and it is challenging for them to walk about 200 metres (to the primary school toilet) to relieve themselves,” said Mr Mawira.

The Standard learnt that the county government had released only Sh2.9 million of the Sh3.4 million that was budgeted for the construction of the ECD block. Paul Osweta, chairman of the centre’s board of management, said parents had been asked to contribute “some little money” to build toilets.

“Many parents are poor and can barely afford a decent meal, let alone make a contribution for the construction of a latrine,” said Mr Osweta.

West Yimbo ward administrator Vincent Mito said his office was aware of the challenges facing the school.

In February, Bishop Hannington Khuduru Primary School in Matayos, Busia County, appealed to the county government to build them toilets as teachers and students were sharing one.

Polycarp Makatiani, a teacher at the school, said they had resorted to relieving themselves in the bush for lack of adequate facilities.

“It is very unfortunate that we share the toilets with the pupils; worse still it is not roofed. We have divided the two rooms using a mat,” he said.

“When we are desperate, we seek help from the neighbours, who at times see us as a bother and lock us out.”

Heavy rains around the country left some of the structures used as toilets unsafe after many collapsed.

Walls crumbled

In Motonyoni Primary School in Kisii County, the latrine walls crumbled one Thursday afternoon following a downpour.

Head teacher Kefa Sese said two latrines, one for boys and the other for girls, collapsed at around 3pm.

“Luckily, no pupils were injured as both toilets sank while it rained,” Mr Sese told journalists in an interview.

The incident happened barely a month after Masaba South sub-county health officials visited the school and warned of an impending disaster following the bad state of the latrines.

The impact of poor sanitary conditions is demonstrated by the case of Mwangala Primary School in Likoni sub-county, which was closed down in 2014 after the pit latrines collapsed during heavy rains.

Severe strain

This trend dates to 2003, when the introduction of Free Primary Education resulted in a rapid increase in the number of children enrolling in school, placing a severe strain on infrastructure and facilities that were already inadequate.

Statistics from the Ministry of Education indicate that school populations rose from 5.9 million pupils in 2002 to 7.2 million in 2003, and to 8.2 million pupils in 2007. The numbers continue to rise rapidly.

The World Health Organisation recommends a pupil-toilet ratio of 1:35 for boys and 1:25 toilets for girls. But the ratio in Kenya is estimated to be at 1:200 for girls and 1:230 for boys.

A 2016-2022 report details the failures of national government to provide infrastructure for schools as they focus on other areas. As a result, most schools do not have enough or acceptable toilet facilities as identified in the minimum standards.