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Table 3 Shared latrine category, cleanliness/dirtiness in the wet season

From: Seasonal variations and shared latrine cleaning practices in the slums of Kampala city, Uganda

Reasons for latrine status (clean or dirty)

 

Reasons for being clean

Reasons for being dirty

Improved

• Had raised and lined pits. Pit contents not affected by high water table or flooding (surface or underground)

• Due to frequent down pours, (those 1that could harvest rain 4water) there was water to clean

• Some facilities were inaccessible due to flooding in the yard.

• Floors were challenging to keep clean due to muddy (unpaved) yards; the mud was carried underneath users’ feet and left on the latrine floor.

• There was flooding of the latrine pit and the floor by surface run-off.

• The dirty slum environment did not encourage keeping the latrines clean

• In low lying areas, some houses were abandoned and this disorganized the latrine cleaning arrangements thereby accounting for setbacks in the cleaning of these facilities.

• People perceived venturing out to access latrines more dangerous when it was raining at night. This forms some involuntary choices that lead to poor latrine use.

• Some adults resorted to squatting near the entrance/door, around the facility or used flying toilets.

Unimproved

• The clean unimproved facilities were very few and were mainly located in low water table and relatively well drained areas in the slums of Gogonya, Jjuko and Kisaasizi

• Floors were challenging to keep clean on account of muddy

• (unpaved) environments.

• Pit flooding from both underground and surface sources made latrine use, access and cleaning complex and almost impossible.

• Rain over a long period of time made adults fear that the slab would collapse due to the weakened soils and the poor construction standards.

• During the wet season, after the collapse of some structures, there was increased free riding and open defecation (OD)

• Pits smell and made users uncomfortable

• There was flooding of the latrine pit and the floor by surface run-off water that also carried pollutants.

• The generally dirty slum environment did not encourage keeping the latrines clean

• People perceived venturing out to access latrines more dangerous when it was raining at night. This forms some involuntary choices that lead to poor latrine use.

• Some adults resorted to squatting near the entrance/door, around the facility or used flying toilets.

• Some people took advantage of the stagnant water to empty latrines in the environment and also to open defecate

• In low lying areas, some houses were abandoned and this disorganized the latrine cleaning arrangements thereby accounting for setbacks in the cleaning of these facilities.