MOONKI
Interesting read. By the way, What do you think about pit latrines with the recent floods that have hit several parts of the country? Is that really the way to go, given the unpredictable climate change? I cant believe something that can be achieved with simple measures such digging holes on the ground could cost so much.
Interesting question, to which I don't have a "full" answer, given that I don't know the extent of the floods. But I would consider these: (a) how frequent are the floods, and what is their effect; and (b) how frequently do people shit in "wrong" places? An "optimization" problem, taking into account risks, costs, etc. Looking at my home-home area (and similar rural areas), as well as numerous urban areas, I would say that people ought to be busy digging latrines or finding other alternatives. Shit right, wash your hands with clean water, and then worry about floods. Nobody is "immune" to nature.
By the way, it is not just health; the local economies too matter. Consider the Lake-Victoria area, for example. Folks have been shitting right where they fish! The locals appear not to care, but the EU does: they handed out money for the construction of toilets and latrines, but it got "eaten". They have now said that they will no longer accept fish from those areas of Kenya if the locals continue to feed the fish with shit. Can't say I blame them.
Yes, the real costs of not shitting right or having clean water are staggering. A serious government would make one "lump-sum" investment in these things and make a huge difference. Sadly, they are not as "sexy" as "laptops for all toddlers!", Konza City (probably another eating scam), etc.
The biggest "health" problems in Kenya---see the figures by RV Pundit, for an example---can be solved relatively quickly and cheaply. The shitting-water problem is just part of it. When Kenya applied to get into Obama's
Feed The Future programme, I took a look at some of the material GoK submitted. I was staggered by the
numbers given of children whose physical and brain developments are retarded (probably permanently) by the lack of proper nutrition. (Yes, I know it's funny that while Washington worries about how Kenyans will eat in the future, GoK has been busy hurling insults and "heading East".)