The future of African infrastructure might be alive.
Laurah Gutu · Water & Waste Management
I design living infrastructure that converts high-strength organic waste into water, energy, nutrients, and sustainable products for the cities of tomorrow
◆ THE WORK
Nutrients aren’t waste. They’re just in the wrong place.
I work on black soldier fly larvae bio-conversion, COD-based process modelling, and integrated treatment trains for complex wastes like abattoir residues; translating biology into mass-balanced models that sit alongside real wastewater infrastructure.
“High-strength organic waste is not the problem. How we design systems around it is.”
LAURAH GUTU
◆ RESEARCH FOCUS
Three streams, one loop.
1
Black soldier fly larvae
Bio-conversion of abattoir and organic residues into feed, fertiliser, and recoverable value.
2
System-wide modelling
Mechanistic, COD-based models that make biological conversion quantifiable and design-able.
3
Industrial wastewater
Integrated biological treatment for high-fat, high-load abattoir, poultry, and dairy effluent.
◆ LATEST PUBLICATIONS
Fresh from peer review.
Black Soldier Fly Larvae for Abattoir Waste Valorisation in LMICs
2026
Gutu, L.; Ikumi, D.; Basitere, M.
Reuse of high-fat abattoir wastewater through sequential biological treatment
Gutu, L.; Ngobeni, P.; Ayinde, W.B.; Ikumi, D.; Mkilima, T.; Basitere, M.
2026
Optimising conditions for sustainable maggot production (Hermetia illucens)
2026
Mkilima, T.; Lauwo, M.; Gutu, L.; Basitere, M.
◆ ARTICLES AND REFLECTIONS
Ideas between science and honest questions.
◆ FEATURED AND RECENT EVENTS
Talks, conferences & seminars.
WISA 2026 BIENNIAL CONFERENCE
Cape Town, South Africa
Presented on black soldier fly larvae bio-conversion for abattoir waste valorisation in low-resource contexts, chaired a session and served on the technical committee for 18 months.
TECHNICAL COMMITTEE MEMBER
PRESENTER
SPEAKER
◆ PARTNERSHIPS
Built with collaborators.
Water Research Group, U.C.T.
University of Cape Town
PHILAFEED
University of Dodoma
GENBIOSOL
LOCAL ABATTOIRS
◆ WORK WITH ME
Let’s build something that holds.
If you’re funding, researching, or building in waste, water, or resource recovery; I’d like to hear from you.
Funding
Grants & fellowships in circular bio-economy.
Research
Joint studies & co-authorship.
Speaking
Talks on waste, water treatment systems.
Consulting
Feasibility & process modelling for industry.