Gulu city faces open defecation epidemic, authorities blame vulnerable groups

GULU - Gulu authorities have decried the rising incidence of open defecation in the city. Open defecation refers to the practice of defecating in fields, forests, bushes, bodies of water, or other open spaces.

The authorities say the vice is primarily because of vulnerable populations such as street children, intoxicated individuals returning from nightlife, sex workers and mentally sick people who congregate in the city’s busy business districts after dark.

A recent investigation by Vision Group's Radio Rupiny revealed a troubling situation: Many backstreets in Gulu city are now littered with human faeces.

The most affected areas include the Library and Bus Park B, where the stench from the waste is overwhelming, attracting flies and contributing to unsanitary conditions.

A food vendor operating along the busy Acholi Road in Bus Park A, who preferred anonymity, described her distress, stating that nearly every morning she finds her section of the corridor covered in faeces.

She believes this disturbing reality can be largely attributed to public toilets closing at night, leaving night commuters with no choice but to use the backstreets.

Property owners blamed

Jeff Lahjeme, the chairperson of Bus Park B, expressed his frustration with local property owners, accusing them of neglecting their responsibilities by relying on caretakers for maintenance, which has proven inadequate.

He lamented that this lack of upkeep encourages individuals to relieve themselves in these neglected areas.

Lahjeme noted that there are bylaws in place that penalise anyone caught defecating in public, however, many offenders cannot afford the hefty fine of shillings 150,000.

In response to the issue of open defecation in the backstreets, local authorities are actively engaging property owners to consider improvements, such as installing security lights, burglar-proof fencing, and paving walkways, with the hopes that these enhancements could also create new business opportunities.

Cultural beliefs 

Sharon Apiyo, a resident of Kirombe ward in Gulu city, in an earlier interview told New Vision Online that there were cultural beliefs, especially in rural areas where some members of the community do not use toilets.

"It is a taboo in some communities for expectant mothers to use pit latrines because they say they may lose their children in them," Apiyo said.

George Okello, a resident of Koro-Abili in Omoro district, attributed the high rate of open defecation in Acholi to poverty.

"You cannot tell people to put up pit latrines, yet they cannot afford a meal a day," Okello said.

According to the 2020 water ministry sector performance report, 8.8 million Ugandans are practising open defecation.

According to data from the World Health Organisation/UNICEF Joint Monitoring programme for water supply, sanitation and hygiene, Uganda's open defecation stands at 5% as of 2020, as opposed to 14% as of 2000.

Health risks

Open defecation poses significant health risks to Gulu city residents, notably increasing the potential for cholera outbreaks if the situation is not addressed.

Defecating in the open, according to the World Health Organisation and Unicef, is an affront to dignity and risk to children’s nutrition and to community health. 

The elimination of open defecation is recognised as a top priority for improving health, nutrition, and productivity of developing country populations and is explicitly mentioned in SDG target 6.2.

Open defecation rates have been decreasing steadily. Open defecation rates have been decreasing steadily. Between 2000 and 2022, the number of people practising open defecation declined from 1.3 billion to 419 million, a reduction by more than two-thirds. 

In 2022, there were still 36 countries with open defecation rates between 5% and 25%. In 13 countries, more than one in four people still practice open defecation.

In the Loro-Pece division, latrine coverage currently stands at 74.8 per cent, with slum areas experiencing the most severe lack of access to sanitation.

Lahjeme sound bytes on open defecation 

Stephen Okello, the secretary for health and education in the Laroo-Pece division, reported on ongoing sanitation and hygiene initiatives aimed at ensuring every household has access to proper latrines.

He said improvements in waste management have been observed, with significantly fewer instances of people discarding faeces wrapped in plastic bags in backstreets—a trend that was more common in the past.

Geoffrey Topiny Onyuta, a health educator in Gulu City, acknowledged the current situation but opted not to comment further, as he was attending a crucial meeting in Entebbe.