Team set up to help Nakuru reclaim its cleanest town glory

An aerial view of Nakuru Town. A team has been set to come up with a strategy to clean up the town in order to restore its one time fame as the cleanest town in Kenya. FILE PHOTO | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • It is being coordinated by Nakuru Public Health Officer Samuel King’ori.
  • Recently, Nakuru County experienced two waves of cholera outbreak which claimed 17 lives.
  • Ms Kiptoo said there was urgent need to educate and train both communities and health workers on disease prevention measures.
  • Nakuru was for a long time ranked one of the cleanest towns in East Africa and investors were flocking in in large numbers.

A team has been set to come up with a strategy to clean up Nakuru Town in order to restore its one time fame as the cleanest town in Kenya.

The team comprises players in the health, water and sanitation sectors.

The Nakuru County inter-agency committee has come up with an urban sanitation strategy that will work on specific areas to clean up and beautify the town.

The inter-agency coordination committee comprises non-governmental organisations, county departments of Health, Environment, Water and Natural resources, the Rift Valley Water Service Board (RVWSB) and Nakuru Water, Sanitation and Sewerage Company (Nawassco) and private organisations.

It is being coordinated by Nakuru Public Health Officer Samuel King’ori.

Speaking to Nation.co.ke Wednesday, Mr King’ori said that the committee seeks to bring together the county’s departments of Health and the Directorate of Public Health and Sanitation.

It seeks to advocate, build consensus, and support environmental sanitation and hygiene programmes.

CHOLERA OUTBREAKS

Among others, the committee will help deal with sanitation-related illnesses considering that the county recently experienced two waves of cholera outbreak which claimed 17 lives.

According to Mr King’ori, who is also in charge Environmental Sanitation and Hygiene docket, 85 per cent of the diseases which causes high morbidity and mortality are sanitation-related and are easily preventable.

He pointed out that some of the measures to be put in place include eradication of the perennial water shortage in some areas of Nakuru Town.

County Disease Surveillance Coordinator Elizabeth Kiptoo said some of the risk factors that exposed residents to the deadly diseases include illicit brews like busaa and poor food handling in homes and food establishments.

To counter this, she said there was urgent need to educate and train both communities and health workers on disease prevention measures.

She said through the coordination committee, this could be achieved by mapping all cholera high risk areas and implement mitigating measures against the disease.

Nakuru was for a long time ranked one of the cleanest towns in East Africa and investors were flocking in in large numbers.