The Influence of Socio-cultural and Economic Factors on the Adoption of Ecological Sanitation Facilitiy: a Case Study of Mathare Slum of Ngong Town, Kajiado County, Kenya

Abstract

The provision of conventional sanitation facilities are not sustainable options due to contamination of both surface and underground water sources. Ecological sanitation facilities are therefore seen as a viable option. Ecological sanitation, or ecosan, refers to a range of sanitation technologies in which human excreta is recovered and retained on-site and eventually reused as fertilizer or biogas. These ecological sanitation (ECOSAN) technologies include: skyloo or urine diversion toilets, arboloo, fossa alterna and biogas latrines. The main objective of this study was to assess the influence of socio-cultural and economic factors on the adoption of ecological sanitation facility (skyloo toilet) in Mathare Slum of Ngong town. The study specifically focused on the following objectives: to find out the challenges associated with the current sanitation facilities; to find out the influence of socio-cultural factors on the adoption of ecological sanitation facility; to find out the influence of economic factors on the adoption ecological sanitation facility. Socio-cultural factors variables included cultural beliefs, gender and religion. The economic variables were level of income and occupational status. The literature review provided a global and regional view of ecological sanitation and explained the extent to which socio-cultural and economic factors influence the adoption of ecological sanitation facilities. The units for analysis were households in Mathare slum of Ngong town. The study used systematic sampling to select ninety respondents. Every third household was selected until a sample size of ninety respondents was achieved. Data was collected by administering questionnaires and observation schedule was enhanced by use of photography. The collected data from the questionnaires was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The statistical tool used for testing hypothesis was chi-square. A hypothesis highlighting the relationship between current usage of sanitation facilities and diseases affecting residents of Mathare slum of Ngong town was tested. Other hypothesis tested focused on the effect of socio cultural and economic factors on the adoption of ecological sanitation facility in Mathare slum of Ngong town. The study found out that majority of the respondents had access to sanitation facilities. However, most of them were shared and respondents had challenges with the existing sanitation facilities. The study found out that the type of toilet used significantly contributed to the diseases being experienced in Mathare slum of Ngong town .The diseases included diarrhoea, amoebic dysentery and malaria. The study established that cultural beliefs, gender and religion were not statistically significant in influencing the willingness to adopt skyloo toilets or urine diversion toilets. However some respondents associated faecal matter and urine with dirt, witchcraft and therefore had a negative view on its use as fertilizer. The study found out that occupational status did not significantly influence the willingness to adopt skyloo toilet. The study also established that the level of income was statistically significant in influencing the willingness to adopt the skyloo toilet or urine diversion toilet. The study recommends that information package and marketing strategies are needed to increase the adoption of ecological sanitation facilities and behavioural change. For instance, environmental advantages, nutrient reuse and health conditions should be the core of information. The study also recommends that government institutions should consider forming guidelines for ecological sanitation at a national or municipal level. This is because ecological sanitation works towards achieving sustainable development goals as set forth by the United Nations. This is by providing sanitation coverage in areas where low tech sanitation options are not feasible. Universal access to clean water and sanitatio