Around 11.00 a.m., a young bike taxi user, aged 20, leaves his bike along the road. He goes to a large gutter located on the 28 November boulevard, in front of Roi Khaled Hospital in Kamenge, north of the capital Bujumbura. He stands before a tree and urinates without worrying about anything. He afterwards gets on his bike and continues his way.
Man urinating in public place, in Bujumbura
It seems that urinating in public places has become a common practice in Bujumbura. “This is mainly done by men,” said a woman, vendor of fruits near a place “which has been transformed into a toilet”.
Opinions diverge on this practice. Some say that people have no choice arguing that there are no public toilets in the Burundian capital while others believe that it is the lack of hygiene regulations. “Burundians are not educated on the use of toilets,” says another fruit seller.
Prosper Muyuku, Head of National Hygiene and Sanitation Service at the Ministry of Public Health believes that the fact that some people defecate or urinate in public places has nothing to do with the lack of latrines. He explains that the practice is related to the lack of hygiene education. “94% of Burundians have toilets but only 16 % use them effectively,” reveals Muyuku. He, however, admits that there is a need for improved sanitation. “Normally people should schedule times for defecating and peeing. Public latrines are necessary for some categories of people including diabetic patients,” says Muyuku.
It is difficult for adult people to change their bad behavior. “I am concerned about children. We need to help them and give them hygiene education, “he says.
He also calls on teachers, mothers and local authorities to educate children to only use latrines and exclusively.
In June 2017, Freddy Mbonimpa, the Mayor of Bujumbura set a fine ranging between BIF 5,000 and 20,000 to be imposed to people who would be found defecating or urinating along public roads.
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