Abstract:
This study assessed the state of sanitation and hygiene in public primary
schools in Kakamega Municipality Division. All 25 public primary schools
located in Kakamega Municipality Division participated. Descriptive cross-
sectional study design was used. Stratified random sampling was used to
select 400 pupils between class 4 and 7. Twenty five (25) teachers were
purposively sampled. Study tools used were observational checklist and
structured questionnaires. Data analysis was performed using SPSS version
21. Descriptive statistics including mean and cross tabulations were used.
Pearson’s Chi-Square test was used to determine relationships between the
variables. Approval by Institutional Research and Ethics Committee of the
Moi University and informed consent from all study participants was sought.
The results indicated that the state of sanitary facilities in schools was poor,
unmaintained and inadequate in almost 50% of schools. This demonstrated
that investment in school infrastructure was not accorded due priority.
Negative effects on pupil’s health were due to inaccessible safe drinking
water and inadequate sanitary infrastructure despite pupils demonstrating
acceptable levels of knowledge on personal hygiene and sanitation. As a
result, pupils suffered from communicable diseases such as diarrhoea, flu
and typhoid which could be prevented by improving sanitation in schools.
The study concluded that physical infrastructure in schools within the study
area were in a deplorable state and inadequate for the pupil population.
Gaps were identified in school management of resources and enforcement of
school health laws.