The SaniBook, a new digital repository designed to transform sanitation management in Kenya, was officially launched, enhancing sanitation’s place in the journey to achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The SaniBook platform aims to empower stakeholders, streamline actions, and eliminate the data fragmentation that has long hindered progress in the sector’s sanitation space.
The launch event convened key players from the Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) sector, including WASH Voice, the Water Services Providers Association (WASPA), the Water Sector Trust Fund (WSTF), the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA), WASREB, and the State Department for Water and Sanitation.
Presiding over the launch, Elizabeth Wamboi Mwangi, Program Director of WaSHVoice, framed SaniBook as a critical tool for fostering a collective national approach to sanitation.
She reflected on decades of fragmented efforts, which have resulted in duplication and limited impact. “The SaniBook is the ladder we need to climb to achieve SDG 6.2 by 2030,” she stated.
Ms. Wamboi explained that the platform will enable both county and national governments to record their actions, progress, and challenges in a compounding knowledge base. This will provide vital insights for all sector actors and allow for real-time updates on diverse initiatives, fostering transparency and synergy.
The launch embodied a sense of urgency as the Eng. Festus Ng’eno, Principal Secretary for the State Department of Climate Change, Forestry, and Environment, noted that Kenya’s sanitation sector is “at a crossroads,” plagued by data inefficiencies.
“To advance collective action, we need more collaboration to escape the allure of working in silos. This will ease our operations and reduce duplication,” PS Ng’eno said. He emphasized that SaniBook aligns perfectly with the African Union’s current year-long focus on water and sanitation.
This call for data sharing was echoed by Andrew Wanyonyi of WASREB, who pledged the regulator’s willingness to share data to ensure the platform’s success.
The human cost of inaction was powerfully highlighted by the chief guest, Dr. Mary Muthoni, Principal Secretary for the State Department for Public Health and Professional Standards.
She cited global statistics of 1.4 million annual deaths linked to poor sanitation, with approximately 20,000 occurring in Kenya due to diseases like diarrhea, cholera, and malaria.
“Sanitation is not a far-fetched idea; it is about our daily lives, how we prepare food, clean our spaces, and live,” Dr. Muthoni said.
She issued a clarion call to all stakeholders: “Share your data with me. When I am at the table equipped with evidence, I can advocate for you. With data, we can attract the funding and drive the transformation we seek.”
The consensus was clear: the nexus between water, health, and environment is inseparable, and a tool like SaniBook is essential to integrate sanitation into this framework and save lives.
