Entrepreneur's tech tonic reverses water crisis in Kenya

Walter Wamae, a middle-aged resident of a middle-income suburb in Nairobi, says the iClear lease has spared him the cost of purchasing a water purifier.

"Earlier, I spent a lot of time and money to buy water from the designated water points. The purifier has ended my problems. It offers great convenience. I get water directly from the tap," he says.

He adds his family members now have uninterrupted access to safe drinking water, which protects them from amoeba and other pathogens.

Since it was founded, iClear has fast-tracked localization of its workforce and recruited a diverse professional cadre, including after-sales specialists, plumbers, marketers and human resources experts, says Zhong.

Flossy Cheruiyot, a human resources and administration manager at iClear, says the startup has hired a talented workforce to support the deployment of affordable and quality water purifiers among its clients.

"We have a team of around 30 members for back office and field work. We intend to increase our staff strength to 100 before the end of the year, so that we can effectively reach every household," she says.

She adds that the startup has leveraged social media, besides partnering with local e-commerce platforms, to expand its outreach to retail and corporate clients.