Includes Reference and Appendix

To close the current sanitation gap, public funding for sanitation has become increasingly
insufficient, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa. What is concerning in Kenya is not the large
number of people who lack access to safe sanitation facilities, but the slow rate at which
households can gain access to improved sanitation facilities. A sustainable financing strategy
is required, one that will increase resource allocations to the sector, improve the efficiency
and effectiveness of existing resources wherever they are found, and tap the potential of
alternative financing mechanism. A critical review of policy documents like the County
Integrated Development Plan (CIDP) for Kisumu shows that there is hardly any
documentation on County sanitation plans. Once sanitation lacks in the CIDP, the county can
hardly plan for the sector hence making the residents suffer. The study objectives are to
examine different sanitation financing options for communal sanitation facilities in Nyalenda
informal settlement, to assess factors affecting financing of communal sanitation facilities by
public sector in Nyalenda informal settlement and to establish challenges of financing
communal sanitation facilities in Nyalenda informal settlement. The study is a descriptive
cross-section design. The study used closed and open-ended questionnaires and key
informants’ interview in collection of data where n=400. The study established that the
dominant communal sanitation financing option in Nyalenda informal settlement was personal
contribution (56.0%), followed by NGO financing (40.3%), while the last was County
Government financing (0.5%). Public-private partnerships played a crucial role in facilitating
sustainable onsite financing for sanitation facilities as evidenced by majority of the
respondents agreeing (35.75%). The study recommended the need for diverse financing
sources, awareness of available options, and supportive policies to overcome financial
challenge.