Sustainable sanitation options for informal settlements (Uganda)

This research involved the assessment of the sanitation situation in Soweto informal settlement in Jinja, Uganda, developing an understanding of the choice of existing sanitation practices and coming up with recommendations for the most contextually suited sustainable sanitation option for the settlement. It specifically focused on excreta (faeces and urine) management. This study employed a mixed-method approach that combined qualitative and quantitative data collection methods such as household surveys, focus group discussions, key informant interviews, and observations. Data analysis involved Excel and multi- criteria analysis (MCA). The findings revealed that 84% of residents have access to some form of sanitation facility, with 92% relying on unlined traditional pit latrines. Over 83% of these toilet facilities are shared among households, with an average of 11 households sharing a two-stance facility. The outcome of the multi- criteria analysis which incorporated views of experts as well as those of the community, ranked the ventilated improved pit latrine (VIP) as the most preferred sanitation option, followed by the biogas latrine, and the compost latrine ranked third.