Identification of sustainable sanitation options for a slum area in Kampala, Uganda

Globally, sanitation has remained a challenge with an estimate of 2.6 billion people lackingaccess to proper sanitation. This has led to outbreaks of diseases which has resulted to thedeaths of approximately 2 million people yearly, especially children under 5 years.In Kampala, the capital city of Uganda, only about 7.5% of residents are connected to thepublic sewer, and the rest depend on any kind of on-site sanitation. Bwaise III is typicallyan urban poor settlement in Kampala. The sanitation situation in the area is appalling, withover 80% of the pit latrines being the traditional unimproved type. The system is locatedoutdoors and grey water leaves the houses untreated and spills over the roads. The stormdrainage in the locality is blocked by illegally dumped solid waste, which augmentsflooding in the event of heavy rainfall. Vacuum trucks can not access most of the latrines ina bid to empty them. As a result, faecal sludge is drained into adjacent excavated unlinedpits or into drainage systems during rains. High concentrations of faecal pathogens havebeen observed in ground water fed supplies during rainy seasons.This research aimed at identifying sustainable sanitation options for excreta management inslums (Bwaise III) and examines the current solid waste management practices.The procedure involved reviewing literature, field investigations, carrying out interviews,focus group discussions and involving key informants. Multi criteria analysis was a keytool that was applied in the identification process. The findings arrived at urine diversiondehydrating toilets (UDDTs) as the first choice and biolatrines as the second best option.Solid waste management is generally still lacking in the study area and requires attention.The study recommends a mix of sanitation technology options (UDDTs, biolatrines & linedlatrines) and not focusing on only one type. Being a flood prone area, drainage should beimproved in order to minimise chances of aggravating the already poor sanitation situation