Harpic Partners with Ministry of Health to Promote Toilet Hygiene on World Toilet Day

By Catherine Muema Last updated Nov 20, 2024

Reckitt Kenya Regulatory Head James Mokoro explains to residents the process of using Harpic toilet cleaner in enhancing the hygiene of toilets during this year’s World Toilet Day. The event was marked at Rokere Primary School in Migori County. Looking on is Ministry of Health head of WASH Nyasani Baswet.

By Shadrack Nyakoe

Harpic, Kenya’s leading toilet and bathroom cleaning brand, partnered with the Ministry of Health to educate residents of Migori and Nairobi Counties on the importance of toilet hygiene in observance of this year’s World Toilet Day.

The national event was held at Rokere Primary School in Kuria West Sub-county, Migori County, where thousands of Kenyans gathered to learn practical ways to improve toilet hygiene.

In line with this year’s theme, “Toilets – A Place for Peace,” participants discovered how it is essential to ensure that sanitation and water services are resilient, effective, accessible to everyone and shielded from harm.

“The toilet is indeed a place of peace, and Harpic contributes to this peace by promoting a cleaner, more dignified environment for all,” said Dr James Mokoro, Regulatory Head, Reckitt Kenya.

“We are excited to participate in this year’s World Toilet Day in Migori County. We encourage residents to continue using quality toilet cleaners like Harpic to ensure cleaner toilets and improved sanitation for healthier communities.

Reckitt through its Harpic brand has also taken the responsibility of driving awareness on hygienic toilets over the last 8 years through the Door-to-Door program that educates consumers on the need for proper sanitation, training them on how to ensure a clean hygienic toilet and has also driven access to the products by selling it at a discount. Our brand remains committed to continue driving safe sanitation awareness.

According to the Ministry of Health, 40% of rural communities in Kenya—along with several schools—still rely on unimproved toilet facilities that do not offer adequate hygiene benefits.

While Kenya has made substantial progress in sanitation, 8.5% of the population still practiced open defecation as of 2022. The country aims to be open defecation-free by 2030.

In Nairobi, Harpic partnered with the Nairobi County Government to promote toilet hygiene at AEF Primary School in Mukuru kwa Reuben by educating the community on maintaining cleanliness in public toilets. Mukuru kwa Reuben is a densely populated area where many families rely on shared toilets, underscoring the need for proper maintenance and high hygiene standards to protect residents’ health.

Observed annually by the United Nations, World Toilet Day calls for global action to address the sanitation crisis. Achieving “Safe Toilets for All by 2030” is a crucial target of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal 6, and Kenya is dedicated to achieving 100% open defecation-free (ODF) status within the next six years.

According to the UN, over 3.5 billion people globally still lack access to safely managed toilets, leaving them vulnerable to diseases like cholera, typhoid, intestinal worm infections, and hepatitis B.