The story of Alex Nyaga, the founder of Parapet Cleaners, is a “Stroke of Genius” that reveals the untapped potential of the domestic sector. By injecting professionalism into a “mundane” industry, he created thousands of jobs and offered growth opportunities up to management levels. Similarly, Sifa, a former cook for a Spanish couple, used her culinary training to build a successful event catering business for expatriates. These examples prove that the domestic sector is a multi-billion shilling industry with infinite entrepreneurial opportunities, provided an enabling regulatory environment exists.

However, for enterprise development to thrive, we must address the safety and dignity of the “world of work” as defined by ILO Convention 190. Current Kenyan laws are often fragmented, treating non-sexual violence—such as bullying, mobbing, and economic abuse—as criminal matters rather than labor disputes. The economic toll of such harassment is staggering, with losses estimated at KES 95.5 billion annually due to absenteeism and reduced productivity. To protect workers in this multi-billion shilling blueprint, we must expand the definition of the workplace to include the commute and digital communications.

Ratifying C190 necessitates a paradigm shift from protecting the “physical premises” to protecting the “worker” wherever they may be. This includes recognizing psychosocial risks, such as stress and burnout, with the same seriousness as physical hazards like chemicals or machinery. We must also revive the Domestic Wages Council to serve as a platform for social dialogue and to negotiate sector-wide standards. By professionalizing the industry and ensuring a world of work free from violence, we create a sector where one million young people joining the job market can find profitable, safe, and dignified entry-level careers.