Health Impact and Effectiveness of Distribution Models for Plastic Latrine Slabs in Kenya

Lack of sanitation is a huge development challenge in Kenya, but also a potentially sizeable market opportunity. The country benefits from good market infrastructure and strong local entrepreneurship, as well as a Government that is supportive and experienced with public-private collaboration. These factors lay the necessary groundwork to catalyze Kenya’s consumer market for sanitation. The World Bank and IFCs “Selling Sanitation” project worked with large plastics manufacturing firms in Nairobi to design, test, and support market development and distribution of a range of plastic latrine slabs. The products were designed from the consumer’s perspective using the Human-Centred Design approach and priced well below the cost of the prevailing concrete slab. Durable plastic slabs are easy to clean, cheap to transport, and incorporate design features such as a foot-operated cover to keep flies out and odors in. The innovation has the potential to move millions of poor households in Kenya “up the sanitation ladder” and derive the health benefits of improved sanitation for marginal additional cost.