Bungoma County on Monday signed a memorandum of understanding with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) committing to a five-year sanitation plan.
Bungoma County government Chief Officer for Health Mr. Patrick Wandili said the partnership will improve sanitation in Bungoma County in terms of menstrual hygiene management, fecal hygiene and environmental sanitation.
“This is in support of the government of Kenya’s mission to advance sanitation and menstrual health management,” Wandili said during the MOU signing on Monday.
Wandili lauded the government of Kenya and USAID for selecting Bungoma County to be a beneficiary of the five-year sanitation project in western Kenya.
The Health Chief Officer said the project will greatly benefit parts of Mt. Elgon region, Bumula and Tongaren that still experienced open defecation and poor menstrual health management skills.
“From the year 2020, USAID Western Kenya Sanitation (WSKP) Project has been working with several stakeholders in eight western Kenya counties to create a financially sustainable, transformative, replicable and locally owned sanitation and menstrual health management,” Paul Orengo the Chief of Party of USAID WKSP said.
According to national statistics from the Ministry of Health, 65 percent of women and girls could not afford sanitary pads up to 2019.
The government of Kenya also remained at 30 percent nationwide sanitation in the year 2017.
Since then, the government has been setting national guidance to increase awareness and find solutions to address this sector’s service delivery constraints in line with its goal of achieving 100 percent open defecation free status by 2030.
The government has also been establishing policies on environmental sanitation and menstrual health management by setting a framework for county governments to legislate and invest in these sectors through market – based solutions.
Western Kenya Sanitation Project, facilitated by the USAID and the MOU signed on Monday marks the onset of the project in the county.
The Project will run in eight counties in the Lake Region Economic Block particularly those that share the same geomorphology.
The other counties selected include Busia, Kisii, Homa Bay, Kakamega, Siaya, Kisumu and Migori. The expected outcomes of this project include improved access to basic or safely managed sanitation and menstrual hygiene management product and services.
“We will also improve monitoring and regulation of sanitation and menstrual hygiene management products and services in addition to carrying out social awareness on the expanded behavior change and marketing campaigns for improved menstrual hygiene management practices,” Wandili added.
