Eldoret laundry workers to benefit in HACO, Mama Fua partnership

Kenya's informal economy has long represented both an opportunity and a challenge for international investors seeking to understand African market dynamics. The recent partnership between HACO Industries and informal laundry workers—colloquially known as "Mama Fua"—signals an important shift toward formalizing one of East Africa's most resilient yet underutilized labor segments. The Kenyan informal laundry sector employs an estimated 200,000+ individuals, predominantly women operating from residential areas, market centers, and street-side stalls. These workers form the backbone of urban household services across Kenya's major cities, including Nairobi, Mombasa, and Eldoret. Despite their economic significance, they remain largely disconnected from formal supply chains, operate without structured business practices, and lack access to professional-grade products and training infrastructure. This structural gap has created both inefficiency in service delivery and missed revenue opportunities for established consumer goods manufacturers. HACO Industries, a regional leader in household chemicals and cleaning products with operations across East Africa, is strategically positioning itself to capture this untapped market segment. The partnership approach—rather than displacement—reveals a sophisticated understanding of Kenya's informal economy. By providing training, access to quality products at scale, and structured market linkages, HACO is simultaneously expanding its customer base while upgrading the productivity and professionalism of informal