The messy battle to control public toilets in Nairobi

For two days Nairobi residents who rely on public toilets in the central business district have been forced to seek other alternatives following closure of three facilities.

The closed washrooms are located at National Archives, River-road (Coast bus) and Koja area that serve hundreds of people on a daily basis, charging Sh10.

On Wednesday traders and residents woke up to find police and county askaris manning the toilets with notices on the walls announcing the unexpected closure.

"Toilets closed temporarily Nairobi County," the notice reads in part even as pressed customers hoping that mean looking young men hovering around would allow them to answer the call of nature.

Security officers were dispatched to the toilets after two rival groups clashed over the management of the toilets.

According to some traders and self-help groups, the tenders for the management of toilets were announced and the deadline was early December 2024, but it was extended following request by some parties.

"The County made another announcement that the tender had been extended for another 10 days meaning it was supposed to lapse around December 19, 2024," Peter Njoroge, one of the members of the self-help group said.

"Around 60 self-help groups had applied to manage the toilets and one of the requirements was to indicate the amount they will make every month, but the matter did not come up again,” he added.

The traders said on January 15, they were shocked to find police keeping vigil outside the three public toilets in three locations.

“I blame the County because it is supposed to take charge and ensure that the process to award the tenders for these facilities is transparent,” another member of a self-help group observed.

A senior county enforcement officer who was leading the officers manning the toilets said they were directed to keep vigil as the matter is escalated to the office of the governor to intervene.

“If we leave the groups that have been managing the felicities might clash badly as it has been witnessed bfore, and lives might be lost. The issues have been forwarded to the office of the governor,” the officer said.

On September 9, 2024, The County Sub sector of Water and Sanitation Services led by Mureen Njeri hosted a meeting with city’s public toilet operators to address issues of concern such as hygiene and sanitation, increase of user charge fee and the renewal of operations contract.

Njeri said there was a need to regularise public toilets management for better services.

The public toilet operators were informed of the planned contract renewal between them and Nairobi City County, since the one in place had already expired.

Some years back, the facilities had remained under disuse after they were neglected by City Hall. Some became safe havens for criminals while others had been turned into abodes for street families.

They only became useful after being revamped and put under private management spearheaded by organised self-help groups that keep fighting over control due to the millions at stake. 

However, the available public toilets are not adequate and some people are forced to use facilities in hotels and bars that allow access.

It is, therefore, understandable why facilities in the CBD are being fought over. During the last fracas, the group enjoying the backing of politicians, wanted to evict the self-help group claiming they had the right to manage the toilets. 

It was around the same time that then Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko had proposed that the toilets should be free of charge.

In 2023, Nairobi County’s environment department announced that there were plans to build more toilets to ease shortage especially within the Central Business District.

It was also reported that the county would refurbish the existing toilets to the required standards but to date little has been reported as the wars to control the toilets continue every year.