Mayors from various African cities convening at the ongoing Africa Water Association (AfWA) in Abidjan have resolved that they push for a basket fund similar to Global Fund in order to increase funding for sanitation.

The Kampala Lord Mayor, Erias Lukwago, in his presentation at the 21st African Water and the 7 International Faecal Sludge Management Conference, told the mayors that there is a need to create a basket fund for sanitation to assist in the fight against sanitation-related illnesses.

“As part of the AfWA Abidjan Declaration, the mayors recommended: increased financing for sanitation by incorporating sanitation,” Lukwago said.

They also called for the implementation mechanism of the Abuja Declaration of 2001 for 15% of the national budget towards health and further strengthening of city partnerships and collaborations with stakeholders such as AfWA.

“I have called for all the Africa city mayors to demand increasing financing for sanitation, in their cities. We need one basket on sanitation [because] it's critical in matters of health. We need to invest in sanitation,” Lukwago said.

Lukwago said in Kampala, funding for the sanitation sector is still low adding that sanitation and access to water are still a challenge for the city dwellers.

He was addressing participants during a panel discussion at the mayor's forum on promoting access to drinking water and citywide inclusive sanitation at the ongoing 21st International Congress and Exhibition of Africa Water Association (AfWA) in Abidjan, Ivory Coast.

“In Kampala, 61% of the household accesses fairly managed sanitation services while, 39% of the city dwellers have access to good sanitation services which is dangerous,” he said.

Few connected to sewer line

He added that the population connected to sewer line are 8-9 and 90% are onsite services, something he said is still a challenge.

Lukwago said cities are increasingly responsible for the management of water and sanitation services due to the government decentralisation policies. However, local governments are often given the powers, but not the resources to effectively deliver with Kampala getting less than 5% from the central government for this sector

He said the city has witnessed progress towards equitable and sustainable urban sanitation through initiatives such as the Greater Kampala Metropolitan Network of Mayors for Water Sanitation and Hygiene.

Lukwago added that the city has witnessed the decentralisation of sanitation services, gender-inclusive and equitable sanitation strategies, Kampala vision for achievements of SDGs, city to city benchmarking, promotion of private sector participation and the promotion of innovations in sanitation service delivery.

Others leaders speak

The Minister of Hydraulics, Sanitation and Health Ivory Coast, Bouake Fofana, said most African countries cannot meet the 2030 Sustainable Development Goal 6 target and advised the congress to provide an opportunity to explore new solutions.

Fofana emphasised the need to prioritise the rural communities, which currently represent more than 50% of the continent and where open defecation is still a major challenge. 

“We still have progress to make in delivering water and sanitation for all,” he said.

On behalf of financial partners, the country director of the Islamic Development Bank, Ouattara Oumar, highlighted the benefits of investing in water and sanitation.