By MN Reporter
Migori County Government has partnered with the World Bank in an
effort aimed at improving sanitation in the county. The project is
expected to cost Sh55.5 million.
Migori County Executive Member for Health, Ms Iscar Oluoch, said that
the World Bank will give 30 per cent of the funding and offer
technical services in the programme.
“They will offer technical support and cater for the 30 per cent of
the funding. The rest of the funding will be provided by the county
government and other partners,” she said.
The partnership will bring together the World Bank Sanitation
Programme, ANAFE, Global Sanitation Fund, AMREF, the IPA and the
Migori County Government.
Ms Oluoch said that the county was facing challenges in terms of
policy implementation on sanitation and appealed to stakeholders to
ensure the hitches were removed as the county government is losing
close to Sh800 million annually due to poor sanitation.
“To curb this, we must enhance strategic partnership with relevant
stakeholders. We shall ensure relevant measures are put in place for
us to have proper sanitation across the county. Let us make sure our
surroundings are clean,” she said.
She revealed that currently, 38.5 per cent of the county’s population
are victims of poor sanitation and said urgent action should be taken
to control this.
World Bank, Senior Water and Sanitation Specialist, Dr Yolande
Coombes, said it was important for the county government to ensure
improved sanitation in the county and to address staff shortage in the
sector for.
She said appropriate skills were important in the fight against poor
sanitation and also appealed for continuous professional learning and
provision of policy and legislative framework that will guide the
programme.
“This will be a wonderful move to improve sanitation in this county.
We appreciate the fact that Migori County is ready to partner with us
so that we end deaths caused by poor sanitation in the region,” she
said.
The Deputy Governor, Mwita Mahanga, who presided over the event,
dubbed Migori County Sanitation Stakeholders Forum in Migori town,
said proper sanitation is necessary for every individual and urged
locals to practice it.

“We are happy with this move. It will help us eradicate certain deaths
in the county,” he said.
Mahanga challenged members of Migori County Assembly to come up with a
bill that will see more implementations of policies on sanitation sail
through.
“The bill will be important for us in this fight and the policies must
also be put in place. Members of the public should also take action on
the issue of sanitation. Bathing in public should stop,” he urged.