Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Entrepreneur Gives Back to Communities in Kenya

Nov 17, 2020

“Living in safe environments should be a right, not a privilege,” believes Mshila Sio, water purification entrepreneur. But effective wastewater treatment in Africa, driven by chemicals and expensive processes, can be out of reach for many state and local governments and their communities.  With Agua Kenya, Mshila is putting natural solutions into place. 

With research partnerships and innovation, the team of Agua Kenya has proven that contaminated water can be recycled naturally and at low cost by using filtration systems and native plants. Mshila has successfully led this work with Kenyatta University and with local communities in the greater Nairobi area, and further developed prototypes and ran trials at the biocentre he created with the support of one of the first USADF YALI (Young African Leadership Initiative) entrepreneurship grants in 2014-15.

Agua Kenya uses macrophytes, i.e., aquatic plants, to inject oxygen into polluted water and to digest organic matter, all without generating odors or sludge.  These plants also eliminate minerals and heavy metals from the water, reducing the amount of waste and increasing the amount of reclaimed water that can be reused for irrigation, for instance.  Agua Kenya’s unique technology allows the plants, such as cattails and water hyacinths, to float on water -- which dramatically amplifies their purifying abilities.

As a Mandela Washington Fellow in the inaugural year of 2014, Mshila built networks at his U.S. host institute, Dartmouth College.  There, in addition to receiving leadership, business and entrepreneurship training, he also was introduced to human-centered design and design thinking.  These approaches completely changed how he manages everyday business and handles project challenges; Mshila directly involves community members and other stakeholders and conceptualizes solutions with the end users in mind from the outset. 

His values of increasing participation and access carry over to the biocenter.  First, it is open to the public, so people can see how the Agua system works and how local solutions can be improving WASH.  Second, it is an incubation hub, welcoming others who have a water conservation idea or water treatment product and need a place to test it out.  In an investment environment concentrated on technology, rather than WASH or other life necessities, this access to pilot sustainable solutions is particularly important. 

Mshila values the door-opening he has had, from studying in the United States and earning a USADF grant to pilot his ideas and expand his impactful business.  He remains focused on creating opportunities and sharing learning with others to extend the benefits he has received.  This includes his commitment to training and employing young people.  Agua Kenya has retained ten younger team members during the pandemic, government shutdowns, and public health mandates. 

In a Tedx Talk in 2014, Mshila said, “We want to tell a new African story” about water.  Six years later, with Agua Kenya reaching communities in east and west Africa and a diversity of people at the biocenter incubating new ideas, Mshila sees people better informed and excitedly advocating for local solutions, using local ideas and resources.  With this increased visibility, he and his team are proud of their work and the opportunity to show more people what Agua Kenya can do.

Written by USADF intern Kate Yuan