Strengthening School Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Programme Implementation: Evidence from Expert Consensus in Uasin Gishu County, Kenya

IntroductionAccess to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) in schools is critical for child health, learning, and gender equity. In Kenya, the Kenya School Health Policy and the Basic Education Act outline standards for school WASH; however, implementation remains uneven due to inadequate infrastructure, weak inter-sectoral coordination, and limited financing. This study aimed to identify priority components for strengthening school WASH implementation and generate policy-relevant recommendations based on expert consensus in Uasin Gishu County, Kenya. Methods and ResultsA Delphi technique consisting of two iterative rounds was used to reach expert consensus. In Round 1, 20 purposively selected experts including head teachers, county education officials, public health officers, water and public works officers, and NGO representatives participated in key informant interviews. Emergent themes informed development of a structured Round 2 questionnaire administered through CommCare online app. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics (means, standard deviations, percentage agreement), while qualitative responses underwent thematic coding using NVivo 12. Experts reached strong consensus on essential components required for strengthening school WASH implementation. Key priorities included clear governance structures, designated budget lines, inclusive infrastructure, menstrual hygiene management (MHM), curriculum integration, sustained capacity building, and systematic monitoring. Multi-sectoral collaboration and recognition of best-performing schools were also emphasized as important motivators for compliance and sustainability. Equity considerations particularly the need for disability-friendly facilities and school-community outreach were highlighted as critical. Agreement levels ranged from 74% to 100%, with most items scoring mean values between 4.5 and 4.8 on a 5-point Likert scale, indicating strong consensus among experts. Conclusionstrengthening implementation of school WASH in Kenya requires coordinated governance, predictable funding, reliable water systems, inclusive sanitation, strengthened MHM, and consistent monitoring beyond infrastructure investment alone. Integrating these expert-validated priorities within existing national policies offers a practical pathway to improving learner health, reducing absenteeism especially among girls and promoting equitable educational outcomes.