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<p>A preliminary report by the Institute for Policy Analysis and Research (IPAR) on sanitation in Kigali, Kisumu, Kenya and Kampala, Uganda reveals that informal settlements in these three cities still present challenges in sanitation.</p>
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<p>Researchers indicated that the research project, started in 2011, was conducted purposively in areas identified as the worst in sanitation in order to find out the status of these locations. In the city of Kigali, the two areas identified were Kimisagara and Gatsata in Nyarugenge district.</p>
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<p>In his presentation, Aime Tsinda, a PhD student researcher, indicated that problems of poor sanitation in Kigali, as well as in the two other cities in the region, are associated with informal settlements, poor accessibility of sanitation facilities, lack of information, lack of empting services due to the absence of affordable empting machines, cost of transport of wastes, topography, insufficient space to build sanitation facilities, and at some points difficulties in obtaining permits.</p>
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<p>Yet, he presented some other determinants of poor sanitation like tenancy, age, gender and financial capacities. According to him, tenants are less likely to improve sanitation as they move homes often, unlike homeowners who tend to be more interested in long-term investment in their properties.</p>
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<p>“If we want Rwanda to improve in sanitation, there is a need of partnership between tenants and landlords,” Tsinda pointed out.</p>
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<p>Tsinda also revealed that houses managed by women are likely to be more compliant to sanitation than those managed by men. “Women are more likely to improve sanitation than men as in African tradition, sanitation is the role of woman,” he noted.</p>
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<figure class="wp-block-image"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20140128202338/http://focus.rw/wp/2014/01/sanitation-still-a-challenge-in-informal-settlements/katrina-charles/"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20140128202338im_/http://focus.rw/wp/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/Katrina-Charles.jpg" alt="Katrina Charles" class="wp-image-26883"/></a></figure>
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<p>Katrina Charles, a researcher from Robens centre for public and environmental health at University of Surrey, says Rwanda is improving sanitation with Umuganda.</p>
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<p>The research findings also revealed that the more people use same pit latrine, the more complicated is sanitation.</p>
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<p>In Kampala and Kisumu, researchers indicated that emptying systems for latrines is something that Kigali still lags behind in.</p>
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<p>John Mugabo, in charge of envi­ronment management at the Kigali City Council, said that the problem of poor sanitation is not only associated to lack of financial means. Commenting on poor empting services in the city, Mugabo associated it to the culture of Rwandans accustomed with closing the latrines after they are full.</p>
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<p>But, he indicated that the fact of not empting does not cause a great danger to people’s sanitation, as he explained that the city has adopted a way of reducing the size of the latrine once full, through using organic digesters which help in decomposition of the waste in latrines.</p>
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<p>On the issue of unplanned settlements, which are susceptible to flooding during rainy seasons, Mugabo stressed that the government has a plan to resettle people from the high risk flood zones as well as the implement the Kigali master plan to avoid unplanned settlement and its consequences.</p>
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<p>According to Katrina Charles, a researcher from Robens Center for Public and Environmental health at University of Surrey in the United Kingdom who spearheaded the research, slums in the cities present big problems of sanitation. She called upon residents to commit to sanitary living for their health.</p>
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<p>“Sanitation is a social good,” Charles said.</p>
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<p>Yet, she indicated that Rwanda is doing well in improving sanitation thanks to community workers and committed local leadership. “Rwanda is improving sanitation with Umuganda,” she stated.</p>
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