An assessment of the level compliance of WASH and safety facilities with the national school health policy among schools in Mukurweini sub-county, Kenya

Kenya’s school health policy aims to provide a healthy, safe and friendly environment for all learners. This includes provision of adequate water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH); health and nutrition; and a safe environment. Public health officers are tasked with ensuring compliance to these provisions and they carry out sanitary inspections in schools. Reports of 33 schools in Mukurweini sub-county inspected between 2024 and 2025 were analysed. Details on latrine/toilet coverage, water supply, presence of a first aid kit and fire extinguisher, structural defects in buildings, food hygiene and solid waste management were extracted. Descriptive analysis and Fisher’s exact test was computed for selected categorical variables. The ratio of boys to a latrine was 1:16 (95% CI 11–21) and 1:58 (95% CI 37–79) for a urinal. The ratio of girls to a latrine was 1:13 (95% CI 9–17); and 1:5 ( 95% CI 4–6) for the school staff. 97% of schools had piped water and compost pits, and 54.6% had a building with missing windowpanes. Only 44% of school cooks had a valid food handler’s certificate. Fifteen% and 32.1% of the schools had a first aid kit and a fire extinguisher respectively. These were more likely to be found in schools classified as boarding and secondary. The latrine coverage among sampled schools is adequate. There is need to provide first aid kits and fire extinguishers to all the schools. These are important in case of a fire or accident occurs in school.