Over 23% of Urban Khomas Residents Lack Access to Flushing Toilets, New Census Reveals
A recent report from the Namibia Statistics Agency (NSA) has highlighted significant sanitation challenges in the Khomas region. Released this week by Governor Sam Shafiishuna Nujoma, the 2023 Census Regional Profile indicates that more than one in five urban residents in Khomas do not have access to basic flushing toilets.
According to the report, 23% of urban residents live in conditions lack basic sanitation. Alarmingly, 16.9% of these individuals resort to open defecation, utilising bush areas, riverbeds, or even plastic bags. The census data indicates that the problem is most acute in the Moses Garoeb constituency, where 35.3% of residents rely on such practices. The situation is similarly striking in the Tobias Hainyeko and Samora Machel constituencies, with 30.4% and 27.1% of their populations practicing open defecation, respectively.
The report provides further insight into sanitation facilities in the region. Only 2.7% of urban residents use pit latrines equipped with ventilation pipes, while another 1.9% rely on ventless variants. Notably, 17% of urban households in Khomas lack any toilet facility at all. Surprisingly, the availability of safe drinking water is not as dire, with only 1.4% of residents reporting a lack of access to potable water.
In rural Khomas, the primary source of drinking water is typically boreholes, accounting for 67.1% of sources. This raises concerns about the quality and accessibility of water for a rapidly growing population.
Alex Shimuafeni, the chief statistician at NSA, pointed out that the urbanisation rate in Khomas has soared by 3.1%, climbing from 95.2% in 2011 to 98.3% in 2023. This influx of residents has placed a significant strain on essential services, including housing, sanitation, electricity, and employment.
“This rapid expansion is pressuring our existing infrastructure,” Shimuafeni noted. “Many towns face the risk of informal settlements sprouting up without sufficient planning.”
The population of Khomas has surged by 45% over the last decade, reaching nearly 495,000 in 2023, up from 342,141 in 2011. A large portion of this demographic is made up of youth under the age of 15. This demographic trend suggests a pressing need for targeted investments in education, vocational training, and job creation to combat rising unemployment levels, currently standing at 34.4%.
Shimuafeni emphasised that young people in the region are particularly vulnerable to these rising unemployment figures. “We need structural reforms to align our education system with the demands of the job market,” he stressed.
The inadequate sanitation situation poses additional long-term challenges for urban planners and local governments, complicating planning and service delivery. As urban migration leads to an increase in informal settlements, addressing these issues becomes increasingly critical.
In light of these findings, the NSA is also preparing for the 2026 Census of Agriculture, which aims to shed light on the structure and dynamics of the agricultural sector. A pilot for this census is scheduled to begin in June 2026, funding permitting.
For residents of Khomas, these statistics represent not just numbers but a call to action for improved infrastructure, better public health options, and sustainable urban development.
— Reported by Nexio News
