For thousands of households in Kisumu, safely emptying a pit latrine has long been one of the biggest challenges to accessing dignified sanitation. In a city where more than 60% of households rely on non-sewered sanitation systems, local enterprises play a vital role in keeping communities healthy, protecting the environment and ensuring waste is safely managed.
One of those enterprises is Mayaya, a growing pit-emptying business that is demonstrating how targeted support can help local sanitation businesses expand their reach while creating jobs and improving public health.
With support from WSUP and its funders, Mayaya has strengthened its operations, improved service quality and increased its visibility in the market. The support has enabled the enterprise to invest in equipment, operate more efficiently and reach more customers across Kisumu.
The results are already evident.
Mayaya has increased its annual revenue to more than USD 4,060 while expanding services to 344 households, helping more families access safe, affordable and reliable pit-emptying services. The enterprise now employs four permanent staff and 16 part-time workers, creating livelihoods while building local capacity in an essential public service.
Beyond the numbers, the business is helping to ensure that faecal sludge is managed safely, reducing the risks associated with unsafe disposal and contributing to cleaner, healthier neighbourhoods.
“Our business has grown beyond what we imagined, thanks to the support we have received. We want to use the truck to double the number of households we serve to 2,000 by the end of 2026. We also aim to increase our revenue by 20% through more efficient service delivery and expanded marketing efforts, while ensuring that all our pit-emptying processes meet environmental and safety standards,” says Mr. Collins Otieno, Founder of Mayaya.
Mayaya’s success forms part of a wider effort by WSUP to strengthen every link in Kisumu’s sanitation service chain. Alongside Mayaya, WSUP has also supported the Kisumu Wastewater Managers Association (KWAWAMA), an association of 18 vacuum tanker operators providing safe emptying and transport services across the city.
Together, these enterprises are helping build a stronger sanitation market that delivers better services to residents while creating sustainable business opportunities. During the first six months of 2024 alone, KWAWAMA emptied more than 7,306 pits, serving approximately 219,180 people and generating over USD 226,542 in revenue, growth that is enabling the association to expand its workforce and invest further in service delivery.
For WSUP, supporting enterprises like Mayaya goes beyond growing individual businesses. It is about demonstrating that when local entrepreneurs have access to the right technical assistance, financing opportunities and market support, they become powerful partners in delivering inclusive citywide sanitation.
As Kenya continues to urbanise, enterprises such as Mayaya are showing that sanitation is not only a public health imperative but also an economic opportunity, one capable of creating jobs, strengthening local markets and ensuring that safe sanitation services reach the communities that need them most.