5 people arrested for lack of toilets

Five people have been arrested in Meru County in a crackdown on homes without toilets or pit latrines.

This follows a basic sanitation and open defecation free villages campaign launched by the Meru County Public Health department.

Public health officers, local administrators and community health workers backed by officers from Subuiga police station on Saturday morning conducted a crackdown in Kithima Location of Meru County.

Speaking after the operation, Buuri Sub-county public health Officer Jackson Muchiri who led the onslaught said that the move was in line with an initiative by public health officers to make Meru County an open defecation-free zone by the end of this year.

He said that a total of 17 people managed to escape by fleeing from their homesteads during the operation, adding that they will still be arrested and charged with failure to provide a sanitary facility and causing a nuisance to the general public.

Muchiri also banned worshippers from congregating at a church that was found to be lacking the crucial facility until a proper latrine is constructed.

He gave the church leaders 14 days to construct a decent pit latrine or face arrest.

The officer said that it was important to begin the operation in Kithima area because it borders Isiolo County where cases of Cholera have been reported in order to reduce chances of spread to the neighboring county of Meru.

The area Chief Misheck Maingi said that efforts had been made by area managers and community health workers to sensitize the public on the need to construct a pit latrine several days before the operation was conducted, adding that those arrested failed to heed the call.

He held that the seventeen people who managed to escape arrest will be pursued and charged in a court of law.

Early August, close to 100 people were arrested in Meru County for lack of toilets or pit latrines.

Speaking during the crackdown in Imenti Central, Director for Public Health Ephantus Kariuki said the county is working with community health workers to help poor families put up pit latrines.

Kariuki intimated that so far 81 people have been arrested and prosecuted and the exercise will continue until all households in the county have access to toilets.

The County Government of Meru is urging owners to construct toilets in order to fight cases of cholera.