When Nawasscoal Company Limited joined the GreenBiz Programme Cohort 3 accelerator in 2023, they already had a bold vision. As a subsidiary of Nakuru Water and Sanitation Services Company Limited (NAWASSCO), the enterprise operates in the circular economy and waste management sector, turning faecal sludge into clean, sustainable fuel. Their model is built on a simple but transformative idea: waste can become a resource. Through safe treatment processes, faecal sludge collected from onsite sanitation systems is converted into smokeless briquettes that burn longer and cleaner than ordinary charcoal, helping households and institutions reduce reliance on wood fuel.
At the time of joining GreenBiz, Mr. John Irungu, the General Manager, laid out the challenges plainly. The enterprise lacked relevant certifications from bodies like the Kenya Bureau of Standards and the National Environment Management Authority, which made it difficult to gain credibility in the energy market. Employee skills in key operational and financial areas needed strengthening. Financial constraints limited their ability to scale production and reach new customers. And despite a strong product, market penetration remained stubbornly low.
The GreenBiz Programme, implemented by the Kenya Climate Innovation Center with support from Danida, stepped in with an integrated package of support designed to address these exact barriers. Central to this was a Proof of Concept Matching Grant structured with 30 percent client financing, a model that ensured Nawasscoal had skin in the game while receiving catalytic funding. But the support went far beyond financing. Through the accelerator programme, the enterprise received trainings that strengthened employee skills in business management, financial literacy, and operational efficiency. They benefited from mentorship and advisory services that helped refine their business model and clarify their value proposition. GreenBiz also linked them to potential investors and partners, improving their readiness to raise additional capital.
Perhaps most critically, GreenBiz provided hands-on assistance in obtaining approvals from the Kenya Bureau of Standards and the National Environment Management Authority raising their status to being a credible player in Kenya's clean energy market. Consumer trust, which had been eroded by the stigma attached to faecal-based products, began to grow.
The results of this integrated support have been tangible and measurable. Nawasscoal has grown from approximately 250 customers to over 450 customers, an increase of 80 percent. That growth reflects not just more sales but deeper market penetration, with households, schools, hotels, and agro-processors turning to the briquettes branded affectionately by the community as MakaaDotcom. On the climate front, the impact is equally striking, for every tonne of briquettes produced, 88 trees are saved by replacing traditional charcoal and firewood. Waste that would otherwise pollute water sources and emit methane is instead converted into high-calorific, smokeless fuel.
Mr. Irungu credits the GreenBiz Programme with addressing critical barriers that had held the enterprise back. Financing, trainings, and investor linkages all played their part, but so did the less visible support including the systems thinking, the compliance guidance, and the mentorship that helped Nawasscoal see itself as a scalable business rather than a pilot project. He also notes that consumer awareness and willingness to pay for climate-smart products have increased noticeably in the market, a shift that makes enterprises like Nawasscoal more viable than ever before.
Today, Nawasscoal continues to receive support under KCIC's SWIFT Program, building on the foundation laid by GreenBiz. A new production plant is underway, and the enterprise is exploring innovations like seed balls made from treated faecal sludge to promote reforestation. What started as a bold circular economy experiment in Nakuru has become proof that with the right support, even the most unconventional waste can become a valuable resource through creating jobs, saving trees, and powering Kenya's green transition