The pressing Third World matter of affordable loosBy JENNIFER
MUIRURI | Friday, August 31 2012 at 11:44 You may take it for
granted but the economics of the toilet is such that it cries
for a fresh approach. According to the UN, 2.5 billion people in
Africa, Asia and other developing regions have no access to
toilets 230 years after Scottish watchmaker Alexander Cummings
invented the flush toilet. This is why philanthropist Bill
Gates, the world’s second richest man, according to the 2011
Forbes List, is challenging innovators from top-notch American
universities to design a lavatory that will operate without
running water, electricity or septic systems and run at less
than five US cents (Sh4) a day. “Imagine what’s possible if we
continue to collaborate, stimulate new investment in this
sector, and apply our ingenuity in the years ahead,” Gates said
during the presentation of the winning designs at the Bill and
Melinda Gates Foundation headquarters in Seattle. “Many of these
innovations will not only revolut