Makerere designs Metallic Mobile public toilet

By Henry Sekanjako

Makerere University is designing a metallic mobile toilet named ‘Smart Portable public trailer toilet’. The toilet which is in a trailer like form is intended to benefit mainly urban centers and slum communities around the country.

Unlike, the usual mobile public toilets that are made out of plastic, the smart portable trailer toilet will be constructed using metallic materials.

The metallic toilet whose technology is new in Uganda has four units and is being designed by Makerere University College of engineering design, Art and Technology under the Architecture and mechanical engineering.

Unveiling the project recently at Makerere  University ,  Dr.Allan Birabi the project team researcher said the toilet will benefit the urban residents and communities faced with poor sanitation especially in slums and informal settlements where access to clean and decent toilet facilities is still a problem.

“Major institutions with poor toilet facilities like schools, hospitals, army and police barracks will also benefit from this technology,” Birabi added.

According to Birabi, the smart trailer toilet will integrate the unique qualities of a portable, self-contained toilet model with the dynamic ecological systems of urban centers.  trueUnlike the existing local mobile toilets, the smart public toilet by Makerere will cater for the needs of disabled people which the current mobile toilets have ignored.

“Designs under this project will incorporate the application of solar energy in the functioning of the mobile trailer toilet,” noted   Dr. Amin Tamala Kiggundu project team researcher.

Kiggundu explained that most of Kampala suburbs such as Kalerwe, Bwaise and Katanga have a high water table which cannot allow the construction of normal pit latrines.

He said they are done with the design and hope to go into full production within a space of four years but are constrained with finances.

“We are calling for funding so that we can further this project, we hope  this facility  can help our brothers in slums, refugees and those in disaster prone areas like Bududu,” Kiggundu said.


One of the researchers Dr. Allan Birabi explaining about the mobile toilet. By Abu Mwesigwa.

Currently Makerere is partnering with Kampala capital city authority, (KCCA) Urban authorities association of Uganda, ministry of local government among other partners for a successful project.

On completion of some of the toilets, Makerere will deploy some of them under a pilot business arrangement where proceeds from the pilot will be used to finance more research on sanitation and management of human waste in Uganda.

The brains behind the smart portable trailer toilet include Dr, Assumpta Nnaggenda designer manager, Pro Dr.Nawangwe Barnabas principal investigator, Wilfred Wadada, and Komakech Patrick among other project members.