The launch of the CLTS campaign "ODF Rural Kenya by 2013" on 11th May 2011

Edited by Trevor Surridge (GIZ)

The Ministry of Public Health & Sanitation (MoPHS)'s National Sanitation Strategy envisages to declare rural Kenya as Open Defecation Free (ODF) by the year 2013. The impressive progress made since last year under the ongoing Community Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) campaign in Western and Nyanza Provinces has demonstrated that this ambitious target is very achievable. However in order to achieve this ambitious target and meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) a dramatic and rapid up-scaling of the successful projects in Western and Nyanza Provinces needs to take place throughout the entire country.

Realising that up scaling CLTS over the next two and half years will not be possible with a "business as usual" approach, the Ministry of Public Health & Sanitation is establishing a National CLTS Coordination and Knowledge Management Hub with the assistance of UNICEF, SNV and other partners. The Honourable Minister for Public Health & Sanitation, Mrs. Beth Mugo will lead the inauguration of the hub at Afya House, Nairobi on 11th May 2011 at 9.30am. Dr. Kamal Kar, the pioneer of CLTS (Community Led Total Sanitation) globally, will also be present.


After the inauguration of the coordination hub, the the "ODF Rural Kenya by 2013" campaign will be launched by the Ministry  at the Silver Springs Hotel between 11am and 2pm also on the 11th May 2011. The Honourable Minister for Public Health & Sanitation, Mrs. Beth Mugo accompanied by Dr. Kamal Kar will launch the campaign followed by a media debriefing.

Please contact John Kariuki at  (jgkariuki@yahoo.com) or Samuel Gitahi (sgitahi@unicef.org) for any further information you may require. For further information on CLTS have a look at the CLTS website at: http://www.cltsfoundation.org/.