The development of the Kenya Environmental Sanitation and Hygiene Strategic Framework (KESSF) 2016-2020 is informed by the need to provide universal access to improved sanitation leading to improved quality of life of the people of Kenya as envisaged in the Constitution of Kenya 2010, and the Kenya Vision 2030. The KESSF is further guided by the Kenya Health Policy 2012- 2030 which targets to attain the highest level of health commensurate with that of a middle income economy. The KESSF in particular provides the framework for implementation of the KESH Policy 2016-2030 which aims at increasing the proportion of the population with access to improved sanitation to 100% by 2030 and ensuring progressive fulfillment of every Kenyan’s right to highest attainable standards of health and sanitation as guaranteed under Article 43 of Constitution.
The strategic framework has been developed by the Ministry of Health through the Division of Environmental Health, in collaboration with all the 47 county governments, several Government Ministries and agencies as well as international stakeholders. This Strategic Framework puts in place key measures for sustained sanitation and hygiene service delivery in Kenya, including elimination of open defecation by 2020. The Strategy focuses on the pursuit of Sustainable Development Goal Number 6 on ensuring availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all by 2030 while building on the progress and lessons learnt from the Millennium Development Goals experience. KESSF provides the Medium Term priority sanitation investments needed to achieve the goals of open defection free Kenya, universal access to improved sanitation and a clean and healthy environment for all by 2030.
The Ministry of Health is thankful to its staff, partners and other stakeholders who contributed to various efforts in shaping the development of this strategic framework. In particular, I would like to express my deep appreciation to the World Bank Group’s Water and Sanitation Program Africa Region (WSP-AF) for providing technical support to the Ministry of Health in reviewing the National Environmental Sanitation and Hygiene Strategic Plan 2010-2015 and in making the development and publication of this Kenya Environmental Sanitation and Hygiene Strategic Framework 2016 - 2020 possible.
The Ministry is indeed committed to achieving the full implementation of this Strategy. Towards this end, the Ministry together with partners has developed a robust monitoring and evaluation framework to track the achievement of milestones in a way that will be responsive and accountable to the needs of the Kenyan people. We look forward to working collaboratively with all the relevant national government agencies, county governments, development partner and all other stakeholders to ensure the Strategy’s successful implementation.