She says he called it a “condolence fee.” Namyalo received the same amount, coincidentally, from Kiyaga Joseph, the landlord who was responsible for the pit. The law, which was enacted in 1935, carries a daily fine of up to 80,000 shillings ($22) for each day the violation continues. Ugandan law labels incomplete or uncovered pits a public nuisance, which theoretically makes negligent builders liable for prosecution. She gets paid 15,000 Ugandan shillings ($4) per foot and can dig up to two pits per week.

Grace Nansamba, who learned the trade by watching her brother, says she tries to ensure children stay away from worksites and owners follow up quickly with concrete coverings. While many benefit from the latrines, pits left uncovered can fill with water and turn into breeding grounds for mosquitoes that spread malaria. Officials don’t record the number of accidents from pit latrines, which are scattered throughout this district and other areas that border Kampala, Uganda’s capital. These goals, which promote global health and development, include government efforts to provide clean water and sanitation to every citizen. Julian Komuhangi, assistant commissioner for environmental health, says the Ministry of Health took its most recent cues from the sustainable development goals created in 2015 by the United Nations. Nearly 80% of the country now has access. The campaigns have largely worked an agency report found the percentage of Ugandans with access to pit latrines rose 30% between 19. The latrines are tied to Ministry of Health sanitation campaigns designed to improve public health. In certain cases, like that of Namyalo’s son, the open pits lead to injuries and deaths. They sometimes shift focus and leave a deep hole, intending to return and finish the project later. Urban residents often dig these pits to accommodate the latrine needs of dense populations, especially in communities with low-cost apartment buildings and houses.īut some Ugandan property owners and landlords start building pit latrines and then stop before completion because they run out of funds. The pit into which Fernando fell - with an attempted cover made of broken concrete - spanned about 6-by-12 feet and had occupied that space for months.

They used the pole as a hook to pierce the body and bring it up.

His body was submerged so deep it took hours for searchers to feel their way through the muck with a long, sharp pole to locate it. He had fallen into an unfinished latrine pit built by Namyalo’s landlord.

S stop before completion