In the Soweto area of Magongo, Mombasa, residents are welcoming a transformative water and sanitation improvement project. The Safisan Toilets program, a collaboration between the Water Sector Trust Fund (WSTF), Mombasa Water Supply and Sanitation Company (Mowasco), and the Mombasa county government, aims to enhance sanitation in low-income urban areas.
Landlady Mwanaisha Nuru, plagued by poor sanitation issues in her house, seized the opportunity presented by the Safisan Toilets initiative. The program encourages house owners and landlords to construct new toilets or refurbish existing ones, offering a subsidy of Sh20,000 for a newly constructed toilet and Sh15,000 for a rehabilitated one.
The initiative involves replacing outdated pit latrines with modern toilets and connecting them to a proper sewer system. According to Mowasco Managing Director Abdirahim Farah, this approach enhances basic sanitation in low-income areas, reducing contamination between sewers and boreholes and mitigating water-borne diseases.
The ongoing second phase of the project, targeting 300 house toilets in Soweto and other low-income areas in Mombasa, builds upon the success of the first phase completed in 2020 in the Mskiti Noor area of Changamwe. So far, 111 landlords have benefited from the project, experiencing improved sanitation conditions and reduced instances of water-borne diseases.
Farah emphasized that the initiative is part of Mowasco’s broader plan to address sanitation challenges in Mombasa, where 70% of the area is classified as low-income. Beyond Safisan Toilets, Mowasco is actively rehabilitating the Kipevu West water treatment plant and sewer lines in the West Mainland area, covering Changamwe and Jomvu subcounties.
With plans for further phases, Farah expressed hope for continued funding and support to expand the project’s impact. Additionally, Mowasco is addressing stormwater outlet issues in Mombasa through a separate World Bank-funded project, focusing on illegal sewer connections to stormwater systems.
Farah encouraged residents to apply for the rehabilitation of their pit latrines, noting around 500 applications received thus far. The Safisan Toilets initiative stands as a key component in Mowasco’s phased approach to tackle water and sanitation challenges in Mombasa.
