Kenya Environmental Sanitation and Hygiene Policy 2016-2030.

The Kenya Environmental Sanitation and Hygiene Policy 2016-2030 (KESHP) envisions a clean, healthy and economically prosperous Kenya free from sanitation and hygiene related diseases and seeks to ensure universal access to improved sanitation, clean and healthy environment by 2030. It is the outcome of reviews to address limitations of the National Environmental Sanitation and Hygiene Policy published in 2007. The Policy takes a rights-based approach and redirects efforts of the government at national and county level towards achieving the Kenya Vision 2030 and the global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The strategy developed in the Policy that will not only enable all in Kenya to enjoy their right to highest attainable standards of sanitation but also to a clean and healthy environment as guaranteed by the Constitution of Kenya 2010. It puts emphasis on increasing public and private sector investment through public-private partnerships. The Policy is divided into seven Chapters: Introduction and Background (1); Situation Analysis (2); The Policy Context (3); Policy Direction and Principles (4); Policy Strategies and Measures (5); Institutional Framework (6); Implementation Framework (7). it is completed by lists of Tables and Figures.
The Policy articulates and clarifies the roles and responsibilities of the many stakeholders and agencies involved in the sanitation sector, spelling out the national and county Governments commitments to increasing investment in sanitation and creating an enabling environment. To address institutional fragmentation and financing bottlenecks, the Policy provides for the establishment of the National Environmental Sanitation Coordination and Regulatory Authority (NESCRA) and the National Sanitation Fund (NASF). To ensure its effective implementation, a national environmental sanitation and hygiene strategy (NESHS), National Environmental Health and Sanitation Bill and county environmental sanitation and hygiene strategic and investment plans (CESHSIPs) will be prepared.
To achieve the goal of universal access to improved sanitation and a clean and healthy environment, the Policy will focus on eight key strategies as follows: a) Scaling up access to improved rural and urban sanitation. b) Assuring clean and healthy environment free from public nuisances. c) Fostering private sector participation and investment in sanitation. d) Building governance and leadership capacity for sanitation. e) Sustainable financing and investment for sanitation. f) Building enabling legal and regulatory environment. g) Establishing an effective research and development framework for sanitation. h) Strengthening monitoring and evaluation systems for the sanitation sector.
The KESHP proposes a range of complementary activities including the provision of sanitation services and maintenance of sanitary facilities for proper collection, treatment and environmentally sound disposal of liquid and solid wastes, water treatment and safety, promotion of hygiene practices, public education, sanitation marketing, regulation and legislation supported by clearly mandated institutions, sustainable financing and research and development. It covers urban and rural areas including households and local institutions such as schools and other educational institutions, health facilities, religious institutions, public institutions such as prisons, public places including bus stops, markets and beaches, industrial plants, commercial premises, plantations and cultural and recreational centres such as hotels and recreational centres. The areas of concern include, among others, rural sanitation, treatment of household water, disposal of (industrial) wastes, protection of wetlands and water courses from indiscriminate disposal of wastes, and food safety and hygiene, safe water supply. The use of wastewater for agricultural purposes from individual households will be encouraged and designs for its collection and use will be provided to households. Biogas projects will be promoted to generate energy from solid waste for household use. County governments will enforce standards regarding sanitation and hygiene at household levels in rural areas. The policy measures shall embrace the specified principles that impact on the access to improved environmental sanitation and hygiene services and a clean and healthy environment such as the recognition of a clean and healthy environment and sanitation as human rights, community-led total sanitation, gender responsiveness and social inclusion, and the polluter pays.