Enterprise growth
Tailored acceleration, strategic support and investment readiness for WASH businesses.
Scaling WASH enterprise and innovation
Kisumu, Kenya · East AfricaFrom idea to lasting WASH impact.
Practical support that turns WASH ideas into stronger enterprises and better outcomes.
Practical WASH solutions, shaped by real markets
Opero is a Kenyan engineering, business development and market research firm specializing in scaling water, sanitation and hygiene technologies and enterprises.
We work from ideation to commercialization, helping teams understand their markets, test practical technologies, strengthen business models and build solutions that can grow.
What we do
Three linked disciplines that move WASH solutions from field testing toward lasting service delivery.
Market intelligence
Research and analytics that turn local market realities into confident decisions.
Technology innovation
Design, testing and commercialization support for practical sanitation technologies.
Proven impact
Field-tested solutions and supported enterprises delivering cleaner, more reliable sanitation services.
- 6WASH technologies designed, tested and improved
- 1WASH technology commercialized
- 35WASH enterprises in tailored accelerator programmes
- $3M+Raised for WASH enterprises in Kenya
WASH Enterprise
Coaching, incubation and investment support that moves WASH businesses from idea to scale.
- $750,000Investment in WASH businesses
- 29WASH enterprises trained and accelerated
- 3Business accelerator programmes designed and delivered
WASH Technology
Installing, testing and rating sanitation technologies against technical, financial and usability KPIs.
- 15WASH technologies installed
- 5WASH technologies tested in Kenya
- 1WASH technology rating framework developed
Sustainable development
Opero’s work advances clean water and sanitation, decent work, and partnerships across the development ecosystem.
Expand access to clean water, safe sanitation and hygiene services.
Help WASH enterprises create dignified work and sustainable growth.
Build partnerships that connect local expertise with shared action.
Selected work
Technologies, service models and training programmes developed with operators, enterprises and implementation partners.
Pit-emptying technology
PuPu Pump
Up to 3,000 L in 20–30 minutes
A portable push-pull sanitation pump that helps service providers empty hard-to-reach pit latrines more safely and efficiently.
- Portable design for dense and hard-to-reach areas
- Moves sludge through closed hoses into a storage tank
- Field-tested with East African service providers
Humanitarian sanitation
Saniforce Fecal Sludge Treatment Unit
115 m³ treated during the Kisumu pilot
A self-sustaining treatment unit combining anaerobic digestion and thermal disinfection for humanitarian and decentralized settings.
- Biogas-powered thermal disinfection
- Designed for infrastructure-constrained settings
- Piloted at the Kisumu WASH Technology Hub
Nature-based sanitation
Vetiver Green Latrine
Published pilot construction cost: USD 185
A cost-conscious sanitation system using a sealed pan, barrel-based containment and vetiver grass to help treat effluent.
- Designed for rural and peri-urban settings
- Reduces reliance on conventional septic infrastructure
- Developed from the Santech Hackathon
Circular sanitation
DungBeetle Anaerobic Digesters
116+ active reactors in partner programmes
Modular anaerobic digesters adapted for sanitation, producing useful biogas while treating waste for households and institutions.
- Prefabricated and modular
- Supports decentralized treatment
- Creates clean energy through biogas
Waterless sanitation
Honey Dipper
100% on-site treatment concept
A waterless toilet concept designed to dehydrate and treat waste on site, reducing dependence on sewer and transport infrastructure.
- No water required for operation
- On-site treatment and collection
- Designed for water-constrained communities
Skills and service delivery
Sanitation Training
3 pit-emptying technologies covered
Hands-on pit-emptying training at the Kisumu WASH Technology Hub using the PuPu Pump, Gulper and PitVaq.
- Practical equipment training
- Safety, dignity and service-quality focus
- For sanitation operators and service providers
From the field
Watch how practical sanitation innovations are tested and applied with operators on the ground.
Our team
A multidisciplinary group solving practical WASH challenges together.
Wycliffe Odongo
Technician
Field notes, evidence and practical learning.
Explore project updates, case studies, newsletters and field insights.
Opero Project Portfolio
A 22-page overview of Opero's WASH enterprise, innovation and market-research programmes across East Africa.
Download
PuPu Pump Digest: Tackling Trash
Practical lessons on trash, thick sludge and equipment care during pit-latrine emptying.
Read more
January 2025 Update
A recap of Opero's late-2024 work across humanitarian treatment, green sanitation, enterprise support and PuPu Pump commercialization.
Read moreWorking together
Opero has worked alongside funders, technical partners and distribution networks across East Africa and beyond.
Get in touch
Have a project or partnership in mind? Send us a message.