How to start a laundry business in Kenya (2026 costs)
Updated 24 October 2026
A small laundry in Kenya opens for about KSh 194,000: two small machines, an iron, shelving, a business name and county permit, first stock and a rent deposit. At KSh 90 per kg it needs about 20 kg a day to pay for its month.
What you need to open
Start small and add machines as orders grow. Most new laundries start with one or two home-size machines and dry on a line; a commercial machine is a later step.
- Washing machines: a small 6–7 kg machine is about KSh 50,000; commercial ones KSh 70,000–200,000.
- Drying: a line and a covered area first; an electric dryer later, as it adds about 0.6 kWh a kilo.
- An iron and an ironing table, hangers, and bags or wrapping for finished orders.
- Shelving and a counter, so every order has its place and its tag.
- A business name and your county business permit (see the permits guide).
Where to open
Laundries live on busy foot traffic and on neighbourhoods where people work long hours: estates with apartments, near hostels and colleges, and near offices. A ground-floor shop with water and power you can rely on matters more than a big space.
Offering pickup and delivery widens your area without a bigger shop: customers send a WhatsApp message, you collect, and they pay when it comes back.
Pricing from day one
Work out what a kilo costs you before you set a price. A shop washing 40 kg a day spends about KSh 55 a kilo once rent, wages, power, water and detergent are counted, so KSh 90 per kg leaves a margin. Charge suits, duvets and gowns by the piece.
Compare your prices with what laundries actually charge, not with what websites advertise: the Fuahub price guide shows both.
Run it so it grows
Tag every order, write down every payment, and tell customers when their clothes are ready. Most new laundries lose money to forgotten orders, cash that does not match, and customers who stop coming without anyone noticing.
Fuahub does that from your phone: orders and tags, M-Pesa matched to orders, WhatsApp messages when it is ready, and a cash-up that balances, from KSh 1,500 a month.
Questions
How much does it cost to start a laundry business in Kenya?
About KSh 194,000 for a small shop with two small machines; a well-equipped shop with commercial machines can cost over KSh 1,000,000.
Is a laundry business profitable in Kenya?
It can be, once enough kilos come in: at KSh 90 per kg, a small shop covers its month at about 20 kg a day, and every kilo after that is profit.
Do I need a licence to run a laundry?
You need a registered business name and your county’s business permit; check with your county for other requirements where you open.
Sources
- Huduma Global, starting a laundry in Kenya: A small 6–7 kg machine about KSh 50,000; commercial machines KSh 70,000–200,000.
- Capital FM, Nairobi unified business permit: About KSh 15,000 a year for a small business with up to 5 staff; check with your county.
- Strathmore iBizAfrica, registering a business in Kenya: A business name on eCitizen (BRS) about KSh 950.
- GlobalPetrolPrices, Kenya electricity prices: Business price about KSh 23.30 a kWh with taxes (June 2025).
- Nairobi Water, water tariffs: Commercial KSh 91 a m³ for 1–50 m³; sewerage is billed at 75% of the water.