On the scenic shores of Lake Nakuru, a fleet of waste exhausters arrives at intervals, unloading faecal sludge collected from households across Nakuru County. This is the collection hub for NAWASSCOAL, an innovative initiative of the Nakuru Water and Sanitation Company. Through a circular economy approach, human waste is transformed into briquettes that serve as a clean energy alternative to traditional charcoal.
“We are doing this through a circular economy approach whereby we are transforming this faecal waste into products, in this case we are making briquettes. This is an alternative to ordinary charcoal, it can be used for domestic purposes. We also make seedballs, whereby we get the seeds of indigenous trees and carefully coat them with treated faecal sludge, which are good for afforestation,” explains Eng. John Irungu, the NAWASSCOAL General Manager.
The process begins with private service providers collecting sludge from homesteads. At the NAWASSCOAL plant, the sludge is subjected to a meticulous dewatering process to remove excess water. “After drying we take it through the carbonisation process; we heat it at high temperature of about 400 degrees. This eliminates the pathogens, the harmful bacterias, and also increases carbon concentration. We combine this carbonised sludge with other biomass like avocado waste then we have properly blended material. And then we use molasses as a binding agent. We use an extruder, we also make round-shaped briquettes for different applications. We then bring it out here for drying where it will take 2-3 days,” Irungu continues.
The end product, briquettes made from carbonised sludge and avocado offcuts, bound with molasses, offers significant advantages over charcoal: they burn longer and are free from harmful emissions, demonstrating both practical utility and environmental responsibility.
Beyond production, the county government is advancing waste management through strategic partnerships. “So you need everybody to come in, whether you are investing in different kinds of waste stream, you are all welcome, and we believe if we are able to partner like we are doing with KCIC in terms of reviewing our legal framework to feed the daily needs, we are then able to help and also create job opportunities for our people,” says Nakuru County Director of Environment Grace Karanja.
At the heart of these efforts is the SWIFT (Sustainable Waste Innovation for a Future in Transition) programme. Supported by KCIC, SWIFT nurtures circular economy enterprises through business training and acceleration. “In Nakuru county we are implementing the Sustainable Waste Innovation for a Future in Transition (SWIFT) programme, which supports entrepreneurs with business incubation and acceleration support; what is needed for businesses in the circular economy space to commercialise,” adds Vincent Ogaya of KCIC.
Together, these initiatives underscore Nakuru’s commitment to responsible waste management, afforestation and clean energy. Through collaboration, technical innovation and inclusive policy frameworks, Nakuru County is turning waste into opportunity—creating sustainable solutions that benefit both the community and the planet.
