Meru University of Science and Technology (MUST) has won a fellowship grant under the African Carnegie Fellowship to focus on collaborative research and curriculum development. The project emphasizes on co-developing new and reviewing the existing curricula in sanitation management to support the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals as well as strengthen research capacity.

This is linked to our School of Engineering and Architecture under the Feacal Sludge Management Project.

The project is aligned to the global drive towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goal (Global goals) No. 6 that aims to ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.

According to the World Health Organization, around 2.7 billion people worldwide still do not have basic sanitation facilities with quite a number of these defecating in the open. This is despite a lag in technological development for treatment of the waste produced. As such, the waste ends back untreated to the environment. In addition, 10% of the world population is thought to consume food irrigated by waste water. These practices have been linked to transmission of many diseases leading to reduction in human well-being, social economic development and eventually leading to loss of many lives.

Collaborative efforts in improving sanitation situation especially in the developing countries is key thus lowering health costs, improving productivity and reducing premature deaths.

Meru University of Science and Technology continues to play our role by investing in research and innovation collaborations with like-minded organizations.

This will be achieved through collaborative effort in quality training of manpower with skills in interdisciplinary fields to sustainable socio economic development.

The following activities are planned for the visiting fellow;

1. The visiting fellow will give lectures to stakeholders in the field of waste and waste water management and innovative sanitation technologies to deal with the challenges in the developing countries.
2. The visiting fellow will be engaged in delivering professional seminars to the faculty members, industry players and in the area of sanitation
3. The visiting fellow will be engaged in delivering lectures and co-supervision to the postgraduate students in sanitation programme
4. The visiting fellow will be engaged in developing innovative research ideas and collaborative proposals to respond to the funding calls

About 9.4 million people in Kenya drink water from contaminated sources and an estimated 5 million people in Kenya practice open defecation due to lack of sanitation facilities. As such, according to the World Health Organization, unsafe water and sanitation (5.3%) is the second leading risk factor and contributor to all mortality (deaths) and morbidity burden in Kenya with one percent of national gross domestic product (GPD) being spent in treatment of sanitation related illnesses.

This project is designed to effect positive and lasting change by offering guidance on clean water and good hygiene practices for the health of all human population.

Meru University of Science and Technology is in the process of establishing a sanitation research centre which will address waste management through a multidisciplinary approach. The Centre will engage experts from Engineering, Microbiology, Chemistry, Waste and waste water, Public Health and Social Sciences. It is expected that the centre will be a hub in the region by providing analysis and solutions to waste management through training of professionals in the areas of sanitation.

We continue to create linkages designed to deliver our mandate to provide Quality Education and be the leading University of Excellence in science, innovation and research.