Meru puts on notice banks, supermarkets without toilets

Meru County has threatened to close down supermarkets and banks that will not have toilet facilities by January next year, in a bid to promote health.

Meru Health Executive Misheck Mutuma said they had issued the financial institutions with notices to comply following complaints.

Meru town alone has about 35 commercial banks and saccos, with many more in towns and markets in the nine sub counties.

Addressing members of public at Mitunguu Health centre, Mr Mutuma said they were committed to ensuring they minimized the number of diseases associated with dirt and withholding the call of nature.

“We are giving them a notice, by January, if they do not comply, we will request them to be closed,” said the CEC.

CAUSE FOR DISEASE

County director of public health John Inanga said banks and supermarkets were a major cause of bladder, rectum and bowel ailments since customers had to withhold calls of nature until they were served.

He wants the business premises to provide properly marked toilets for both sexes and people with disabilities.

Mr Inanga said they had started inspections of the institutions and had realized that most banks and supermarkets were reluctant to provide the facilities claiming it would be a security risk.

He proposed that the institutions should come up with booths just like the ATMs where customers could relieve themselves.

Mr Mutuma warned that next year, the county government would not issue any licenses to any hotel which does not have a toilet.

He said Meru could not realize any development if residents spent most of their money on seeking medication due to diseases caused by dirty environments.

During the function, 35 villages were declared free of open defecation while 11 others await assessment.

Mr Mutuma also said they had strengthened the capacity of the public health department to check flour and nuts to ensure they were free of aflatoxin.