By the 254.ke Newsroom
Kenya’s shift to a circular economy needs stronger national and county policies, financing that matches the maturity of each enterprise, and access to technology, according to speakers at the 11th Annual Circular Economy Conference on October 1, 2026. The conference heard that rules such as extended producer responsibility (EPR) are pushing companies toward circular models, but that many waste-based businesses still struggle to prove they can make money.
What is a circular economy, and why does Kenya want one?
A circular economy keeps materials in use through recycling, repair, refurbishment and remanufacturing, instead of the take-make-dispose model. For Kenya, the pitch is as much about jobs as litter. Speakers at the conference said circular value chains could employ far more people than the current linear model, including in collection, sorting and processing.
What did speakers say is holding it back?
- Policy: Albert Wambugu, chief executive of Hand in Hand Eastern Africa, named the lack of national-level policy as a first gap. Karin Boomsma of the Sustainable and Inclusive Business Organization said that without clear policies, businesses do not feel compelled to comply.
- Financing: Rosemary Amondi of the Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs said funding must match an enterprise’s stage, and warned that some projects chasing commercial capital may never turn a profit.
- Skills and technology: Wambugu said waste-value-chain businesses need both, alongside money.
Boomsma said EPR rules are advancing circularity, but that financial viability remains a challenge.
Where are the opportunities?
Speakers pointed to recycling, repair, refurbishment, remanufacturing and agricultural waste recovery, including banana fibre and fertiliser made from plant waste.
How big is Kenya’s plastic problem?
Environment and Climate Change Principal Secretary Festus Ng’eno has said Kenya generates about one million tonnes of plastic waste a year, and that only about 8 percent is recycled. The government launched the Plastic Circular Investment Initiative with Korea, the Global Green Growth Institute and the UN Environment Programme to speed up EPR. It builds on the Sustainable Waste Management Act of 2022 and the EPR Regulations of 2024.
Those regulations have not had an easy start. In May 2025, private-sector groups opposed the rollout, citing import fees and licensing costs, after the High Court temporarily halted enforcement. The Global Green Growth Institute’s Nagnouma Kone has listed evolving EPR structures, few investment-ready projects, limited capacity at producer responsibility organisations and weak digital data systems as structural gaps.
The Kenya Plastics Pact, formed in March 2022, has set a goal of making all plastic packaging produced in Kenya reusable by 2030.
Are there local examples already working?
Yes, at small scale. 254.ke has reported on a Garissa youth group turning invasive mathenge into green energy, one of the waste-to-value models speakers said needs patient finance.
FAQ
What is extended producer responsibility in Kenya?
EPR makes producers responsible for the packaging and products they put on the market, including collection and recycling. Kenya’s EPR Regulations were issued in 2024 under the Sustainable Waste Management Act of 2022.
How much plastic does Kenya recycle?
About 8 percent of roughly one million tonnes a year, according to PS Festus Ng’eno.
Who is leading the circular economy push?
The Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, working with Korea, GGGI and UNEP on the investment initiative, alongside private groups such as the Kenya Plastics Pact. Details of the regulatory framework are on the Ministry of Environment website.
Reporting as of October 1, 2026.
