In a continuous campaign to ‘Keep Kigali Clean’ the problem of lack of public toilets in the city requires immediate attention if the city of Kigali is to retain its position as the cleanest city in Africa.
City places especially around CHK and the route towards Camp Kigali Primary school have become stinky for many pedestrians urinate along this path every day.
Busy places including; Remera, Giporoso, Nyamirambo ,gatsata ,gikondo ,kimironko and kacyiru lack public toilets and this has contributed to emergence of stinking spots that contrast the clean image of the city.
The fast growing city of Kigali requires improved sanitation facilities especially public toilets. However such public toilets are rare to find around the city and the ones available are not known to people and very far from where people have their routine businesses.
The busy city business center Mateus also lacks public toilets. Igihe.com talked to the business people at Quartier Mateus who said they quickly need the problem to be fixed because this is a highly congested center.
Uwase Jane, a wholesaler of home equipment said that it takes them long time to get to public toilets. “I always leave home after I have used the bathroom. It saves me time and money while using the city public toilets located as far as the main roundabout,”explains Uwase.
Mama Jackie adds that she bought a bucket that she uses whenever she wants to ease herself. “I bought the bucket because I knew I couldn’t make it to Rubangura’s house and other public toilets not near,” she laments.
There are several city dwellers that use private buckets to ease themselves.
Although they didn’t reveal where they empty their waste, a respondent who preferred anonymity told this reporter that at the end of the day such contents normally mixed with water and detergents are emptied into the streets drainage system.
Mugabo Jean, a wholesaler of plastic shoes said like many others says he uses restaurant toilets especially during lunch period, “Whenever I go for my lunch I make sure that I come back when I have finished easing so that I don’t take long distance searching where to ease from”.
“The major Public toilets are mostly found at UTC complex, Rubangura house and opposite the roundabout in Kigali city costing 100Frw per user. Toilets are fewer than the high demand from city dwellers,” explains Mukahirwa Chantal a caretaker at UTC public toilets.
Mukahirwa says, “We always receive many people. In most cases some have to wait in a long queue because of lack of enough public toilets”.
The Gasabo district Mayor Ndizeye Willy acknowledged the public toilets problem saying that toilets are few. However, the mayor says building of public toilets is among the district goals they have to achieve.
“We don’t have enough toilets. We have already built public toilets at Gisozi. Construction is also underway at Kicukiro and Kinamba. Plans are also underway to construct public toilets at Nyakyonga and Gatsata such that by next year the city shall have enough public toilets,” says mayor Ndizeye.
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