Evaluation of Excreta Management Across Sanitation Service Chain Using Shitflow Diagram in Kericho Town, Kenya
Abstract
Over half of the world's population lived in cities as of 2020, and it's expected that 70%of the global population will live in cities by 2050. Providing adequate sanitation services in urban and peri-urban areas is challenging, especially in low- and middle-income countries where poor sanitation practices can lead to the spread of diseases with high morbidity and mortality rates. Shit Flow Diagram is an innovative tool and can be used to identify bottlenecks, areas of high risk, and opportunities for improving the safety of sanitation practices along the sanitation service chain in a specific location. The study aimed to evaluate excreta management across sanitation service chain using Shit Flow Diagram (SFD) in Kericho Town, Kenya. Employing a convergent parallel mixed-method, the study gathered data through diverse methods, including desk research, documented studies, County Government records, Key Informant Interviews, household surveys, and observations. A sample size of 409 households was utilized to comprehend the Faecal Sludge Management (FSM) patterns of Kericho town, employing both qualitative and quantitative data collection methods alongside the SFD data analysis tool. Thematic analysis was used to analyse qualitative data, while simple descriptive statistics were used for quantitative data analysis. The research showed that most households used onsite sanitation technologies, specifically (66.5%) pit latrines with slabs and (13.69%)pour-flush systems. Most facilities were functional and sufficiently private, but shared toilets were in poor condition structurally and required some maintenance. The study found that despite relatively high faecal sludge containment (65%), only 54%of faecal sludge and 5% of wastewater underwent effective treatment. Operational challenges included high emptying costs, poor transport infrastructure, and limited equipment availability, all of which hindered timely and safe sludge management. Furthermore, the findings revealed that the key water quality parameters (BOD₅, COD, E. coli, and Total Coliforms) were consistently above acceptable national effluent standards by the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA), demonstrating inefficiencies in the local treatment facilities The study concludes that Kericho Town experiences significant sanitation service chain breakdowns, particularly at the emptying and treatment stages, resulting in 41% of excreta being unsafely managed. These challenges pose substantial risks to environmental health and hinder progress toward achieving Kenya’s Vision 2030 and Sustainable Development Goal 6.2, which advocates for universal access to safely managed sanitation. The study recommended local authorities, utility and stakeholders take decisive action at the infrastructure level, service delivery level, and equitable access to safe sanitation level.
