Swiss Investor Backs Kenyan Company Employing Refugees to Solve Water Crisis
Kakuma, 5 May 2026
A remarkable enterprise near Kenya’s Kakuma refugee camp has secured crucial funding to expand operations that bottle 60,000 litres of clean water daily for over 300,000 residents. What makes Lifta extraordinary is its workforce composition: 44% of permanent staff and 60% of contract workers are refugees themselves. The iGravity loan will boost both water production and plastic recycling capacity, whilst the company operates ten distribution points—seven run by women. This investment demonstrates how commercially viable businesses can emerge from displacement-affected regions, creating employment opportunities and essential services. Previous grant funding helped slash water costs from 50 to 10 Kenyan shillings per litre, making clean water more accessible to vulnerable communities.
Expanding Operations Through Strategic Investment
The Switzerland-based iGravity has provided this loan through its Refugee Investment Facility, marking the investor’s first venture into the Kenyan market [1]. This investment vehicle, launched in 2022 in collaboration with the Danish Refugee Council, specifically targets businesses that provide services, products and job opportunities to communities facing long-term displacement from crisis and conflict [1]. The facility has already supported ten refugee-led and refugee-focused businesses across various regions [1].
Dramatic Cost Reductions Through Grant Support
Lifta’s financial trajectory improved significantly following support from the Kakuma Kalobeyei Challenge Fund for refugee-serving businesses in 2024 [1]. This grant enabled the company to purchase essential water treatment and recycling equipment, resulting in a remarkable cost reduction from 50 Kenyan shillings (approximately £0.32) per litre to just 10 shillings per litre [1]. The -80 cost reduction of 80% has made clean water substantially more affordable for the camp’s residents, many of whom live on extremely limited incomes [GPT].
Pioneering Recycling Infrastructure in Remote Region
The company expanded its environmental impact by venturing into plastic recycling in 2024, establishing one of the first plastic recycling facilities in the northwestern Kenya region [1]. This dual approach addresses two critical challenges simultaneously: providing essential clean water services whilst tackling plastic waste management in a community where traditional waste disposal systems are limited [GPT]. The integration of recycling operations creates additional employment opportunities for refugees whilst contributing to environmental sustainability in the camp [1].
Addressing Growing Global Displacement Crisis
This investment comes at a time when global conflict continues to drive increased human displacement, creating more communities in need of long-term solutions beyond traditional aid [1]. iGravity’s investment philosophy recognises that many displaced people are becoming permanent residents in new communities, requiring sustainable resources for security, wellbeing and economic opportunity rather than temporary assistance [1]. As iGravity’s Fredrick Oloo noted, the investment “demonstrates that high-growth, commercially viable businesses can emerge from displacement-affected regions” [1]. For residents of Kakuma refugee camp, established decades ago in northwest Kenya, Lifta’s expansion represents a critical step towards self-sufficiency and improved living conditions [1].