Urban community-led total sanitation: a case study of Nakuru

The urban poor are detrimentally affected by lack of access to proper sanitation facilities. Informal settlements are typically overcrowded, polluted and lack basic services such as water and sanitation. One area for assisting urban development is to enable poor people and the local public and private sector to improve urban sanitation conditions and services. The Realizing the Right to Total Sanitation (RRTS) programme in Nakuru initiated by Practical Action and Umande Trust has adopted the Community Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) approach, introducing it in informal settlements (Rhonda and Kaptembwo) in an urban setting. The process has triggered CLTS at the community level, intensified hygiene promotion, introduced participatory design development, empowered informal sector workers, enhanced strategic partnerships and facilitated sanitation financing.