EcoLoo Africa project has launched an environmentally-friendly toilet to improve waste disposal. Project chairman Imad Agi said the new approach will transform waste into organic fertiliser.
Speaking during the launch at the Serena Hotel in Nairobi yesterday, he said the portable cubicle with two pots will end challenges among the rural and urban poor. “This toilet will address most of the problems that affect our society ranging from environment to health,” Agi said.
He asked Kenyans to embrace the latest toilet waste disposal and management technology. Agi said waste management will improve and economically empower Kenyans. The launch was attended by public health officials and businessmen.
Daniel Simiyu, who comes from Bungoma, called on locals to embrace the initiative. “Let our waste be a source of making money that will then be used to improve our quality of life,” he said.
Once rolled out, the EcoLoo is expected to enable its users access the bi-products. The toilet has a special bacterium that recycles the waste into organic fertiliser. The chemical has been tested and proven to be harmless to humans.
Simiyu asked county governments to embrace the technology. “The expenditure for sewage management is very high and most times the quality of work done is not good,” he said. Simiyu attributed low harvest to high prices and shortage of fertiliser.
“There is need to supplement the fertilisers that we are buying in the market.” Some schools have been compelled to shut down due to inability to access toilet services, while girls in regions such as Northern Kenya usually stay at home for during their menstruations due to poor sanitation in schools.
The Eco Loo team will soon be rolling out a public hygiene week aimed at educating pupils on proper waste management practices. The toilets, which come in various sizes and specifications, cost Sh85,000 while the converting bacterium costs Sh450.
The project team said this is cheap in the long run compared to its accrued benefits. The toilet uses one liter of water at a time. It is said to last to up to 100 years if properly used and managed.
