Data-Driven Sanitation Management: Bridging Gaps for Sustainable Interventions in Nyahururu Municipality
Originally published by NYAHUWASCO (source) and shared here as part of our ongoing collaboration on sustainable sanitation, this article explores data-driven sanitation—an area of growing interest in improving and safely managing sanitation in Kenya. The nation faces significant sanitation challenges, particularly in fast-growing urban areas where infrastructure development struggles to keep pace with population growth. As the economy undergoes digital transformation, adopting a data-driven approach to address pressing sanitation issues is a strategic move. It enables the precise identification of needs, the development of targeted, innovative solutions, and the tracking of outcomes for sustainable impact.
Nationally, only 30% of the population has access to basic sanitation services. As a growing urban centre in Laikipia County, Nyahururu is curbed by inadequate sanitation infrastructure and unsafe waste disposal systems that pose significant public health risks. For instance, a 2011 study in Maina slum, Nyahururu, found a 6.3% prevalence of typhoid fever, with risk factors including poor sanitation and water pollution, and other environmental factors (Andrew, 2016). Moreover, Laikipia County loses approximately 267 million KES annually due to poor sanitation (MoH, 2014; Twaweza East Africa, 2024).
The Laikipia County Integrated Development Plan (CIDP) 2023-2027 highlights sanitation as a critical challenge to improved sanitation systems aggravated by infrastructural inadequacies and low household connection rates (CGL, 2023). These shortcomings emphasise the urgency of adopting a data-driven approach to address systemic issues effectively. A well data-informed strategy can bridge existing gaps by identifying high-risk areas and tailoring interventions to specific community needs.
Why Data Matters for Nyahururu’s Sanitation Future
Nyahururu Water & Sanitation Company Ltd (NYAHUWASCO) recognises an opportunity to transform sanitation delivery through a structured, data-driven approach. Currently, the inadequacy of a comprehensive framework for collecting and utilising sanitation data limits the ability to design targeted, cost-effective, and scalable solutions. Addressing this gap requires a strategic approach that:
Leverages data to inform investments
Enhances service efficiency, and
Drives sustainable sanitation improvements
“As the world economies are drastically undergoing digital transformation, sanitation service providers and policy makers need not be left behind, but level-up by adopting and integrating digitization into their operations. This will bolster issue identification, and enhance progress measurement & tracking, for informed and impactful decisions. ”
NYAHUWASCO envisions a collaborative effort where data-driven insights shape decision-making. Through partnerships, the company aims to develop and implement methodologies that utilise geographical mapping, behavioural analyses, and community engagement to optimise resource allocation and ensure impactful interventions. Establishing a robust data framework will enable NYAHUWASCO and its partners to:
a) Identify sanitation hotspots for prioritised interventions
b) Optimise resource distribution to maximise impact
c) Develop context-specific solutions that respond to community needs
d) Monitor and evaluate interventions to ensure long-term sustainability
Key data tools that can support this initiative include:
1. Geospatial Mapping: Identifies sanitation hotspots/gaps and supports targeted intervention planning. Similar initiatives in Nakuru County have improved investment strategies and service delivery (Geospatial World, 2012; NCG, 2019; GWOPA, 2022; IWA, 2023).
2. Household Surveys: Provide comprehensive data on community sanitation needs (Geospatial World, 2012; Filho et al., 2019),, ensuring precise and effective interventions, as recommended by the WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP, 2023).
3. Participatory Assessments: Engage communities in identifying challenges and co-developing solutions, ensuring local ownership and long-term sustainability ensures that interventions are tailored to local realities. A World Bank-supported project in Nakuru County is a classical case study (GWOPA, 2022; IWA, 2023).
4. OpenStreetMap Initiatives: In Nairobi’s informal settlements, OpenStreetMap projects have enhanced service provision by mapping sanitation deficiencies (Geospatial World, 2012; Filho et al., 2019; Microgrant, 2020).
NYAHUWASCO seeks to build local capacity to effectively gather, interpret, and apply sanitation data. By working with development partners, academic institutions, and other stakeholders, the company aims to institutionalise data-driven planning in sanitation management. This approach will unlock key benefits, such as:
Strategic, evidence-based geographic interventions
Contextually-fit solutions
Robust innovative technology implementation
Resource-efficient funding mechanisms
Enhanced community participation in solutions
Optimizing Stakeholder Engagement to Drive Data
A multi-stakeholder coalition is essential for effective implementation in Nyahururu municipality. The Nyahururu municipal council plays a key role in data collection and planning targeted interventions, ensuring alignment with local priorities.
Strategic partnerships with sanitation service providers are critical to advancing a collaborative, data-driven future. Sanivation, a social enterprise committed to greening cities through safely managed sanitation, recognizes the power of data in transforming sanitation outcomes. Through our work in Nyahururu and beyond, we collaborate with partners like NYAHUWASCO to develop scalable, data-driven solutions that enhance service delivery. By leveraging our expertise in innovative sanitation technologies, we contribute to designing models that can be replicated in other municipalities.
Water Service Providers (WSPs), such as NYAHUWASCO, play a crucial role in promoting transformative sanitation technologies. This includes both sewered and non-sewered systems, for realisation of safely managed sanitation (SMS). NYAHUWASCO’s extensive experience in water services positions it to integrate water and sanitation solutions effectively, particularly in areas where centralised sewer systems remain unfeasible. At the government level, the Ministry of Health contributes technical expertise and integrates efforts with national health goals, such as addressing Laikipia County’s 26.7% child stunting rate linked to poor sanitation. Additionally, academic institutions provide evidence-based insights, while NGOs and community organizations facilitate grassroots engagement.
Call to Action
We invite policymakers, funders, and private sector partners to collaborate in accelerating data-driven sanitation initiatives. Sanivation is committed to working alongside WSPs, like NYAHUWASCO, to scale innovative, cost-effective sanitation models across Kenya. Reach out to us at info@sanivation.com , to explore partnership opportunities and drive sustainable impact together.
References
Andrew, K.B.N. (2016) ‘Risk Factors Influencing Typhoid Fever Occurrence among the Adults in Maina Slum, Nyahururu Municipality, Kenya’, Scholars Academic Journal of Biosciences (SAJB, 4(3B).
CGL (2023) County Government of Laikipia – Third County Integrated Development Plan 2023-2027. Available at: https://laikipia.go.ke/assets/file/a8305b2c-laikipia-county-integrated-developme.pdf (Accessed: 27 August 2024).
Filho, F.J.C.M. et al. (2019) ‘Sustainable Sanitation Management Tool for Decision Making in Isolated Areas in Brazil’, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 16(7), p. 1118. Available at: https://doi.org/10.3390/IJERPH16071118.
Geospatial World (2012) ICT in City Sanitation Planning - Geospatial World, https://geospatialworld.net/article/ict-in-city-sanitation-planning/. Available at: https://geospatialworld.net/article/ict-in-city-sanitation-planning/ (Accessed: 21 March 2025).
GoK (2008) Kenya Vision 2030 | Kenya Vision 2030. Available at: https://vision2030.go.ke/ (Accessed: 21 March 2025).
GWOPA (2022) Water Operators‘ Partnership. Case Study, https://gwopa.unhabitat.org/resources/library/water-operators-partnership-case-study-nakuru-country-kenya-nawassco-naruwasco. Available at: https://gwopa.unhabitat.org/resources/library/water-operators-partnership-case-study-nakuru-country-kenya-nawassco-naruwasco (Accessed: 21 March 2025).
IWA (2023) ‘Inclusive Urban Sanitation Stories : Bridging the sanitation data gap in Nakuru, Kenya’. Available at: https://iwa-network.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/IWA-%E2%80%93-IUS-6.pdf (Accessed: 21 March 2025).
JMP (2023) WHO/UNICEF: new report on WASH in household, https://www.unwater.org/news/who/unicef-new-report-wash-households. Available at: https://www.unwater.org/news/who/unicef-new-report-wash-households (Accessed: 21 March 2025).
Microgrant (2020) Water and Sanitation mapping in Nairobi’s informal settlements, https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Microgrants/Microgrants_2020/Proposal/Water_and_Sanitation_mapping_in_Nairobi%27s_informal_settlements.
MoH (2014) County Sanitation Profiles: State of Sanitation in Laikipia County. Available at: https://devolutionhub.or.ke/resource/state-of-sanitation-in-laikipia-county (Accessed: 21 March 2025).
NCG (2019) ‘Nakuru Countywide Strategic Sanitation Plan: Countywide Inclusive Sanitation Strategy’.
Ndungu, P.W. (2018) Why Kenya’s sanitation challenge requires urgent attention, https://blogs.worldbank.org/en/africacan/why-kenyas-sanitation-challenge-requires-urgent-attention#:~:text=As%20the%20population%20grows%2C%20development,pans%20or%20shallow%20groundwater%20sources. Available at: https://blogs.worldbank.org/en/africacan/why-kenyas-sanitation-challenge-requires-urgent-attention (Accessed: 20 March 2025).
Twaweza East Africa (2024) ‘Water, sanitation and hygiene in Laikipia County’. Available at: www.twaweza.org/sauti. (Accessed: 21 March 2025).
UN (2015) Goal 6: Clean water and sanitation - The Global Goals. Available at: https://www.globalgoals.org/goals/6-clean-water-and-sanitation/ (Accessed: 21 March 2025).