The Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS) under General Mohamed Badi has closed all public toilets in Nairobi, CBD.
NMS, on Thursday, May 13, ordered the closure after several groups clashed over management of the facilities.
Notices posted in several toilets at OTC, National Archives, Koja and Accra Road stated that the decision was made owing to security reasons.
Police officers and NMS officials raided the public toilets chasing away the cash collectors, managers and Nairobians who were responding to the call of nature.
One group was alleged to have written to NMS accusing the other of failing to contribute monthly funds channeled towards maintaining the facilities.
The groups also differed on the transition of power as a new team is set to take over management in September 2021. An NMS meeting set up to solve the issue amicably was not successful.
"The process should be done in a manner that will guarantee peace, harmony and social existence.
"It should also be compliant with the law governing the way public contracts are awarded,” a letter written to NMS by one of the group read.
Police and the groups have engaged in several running battles over the management of the facilities. In October 2020, GSU officers dispersed protestors who wanted to seize control of the toilets.
"We are the people who constructed these toilets, but when Mike Sonko's (former Nairobi Governor) regime assumed office, the officers were forcefully coming to take over the facilities," Wangechi Simba, one of the toilet owners complained.
A spot check by Kenyans.co.ke ascertained that there are over 150 toilets in the county and 27 in the CBD which charge Ksh10 per session. Owners amass between Ksh10,000 and Ksh70,000 daily.
This translates to over Ksh1.8 million per month. The toilet owners pay tax and rental levies to KRA.
