Experts Urge Kenya to Turn Waste Into Jobs Through Circular Economy

By Michael Nyamai -

Nairobi, Kenya, Sept 30, 2026 — Kenya must accelerate the shift to a circular economy to create jobs, strengthen livelihoods and unlock economic value from waste, experts said at the 11th Annual Circular Economy Conference held in Nairobi on Wednesday.

Karine Boomsma, Project Director, Sustainable and Inclusive Business Kenya, addresses the media during the 11th Annual Circular Economy Conference in Nairobi on Wednesday, September 30, 2026.//PHOTO COURTESY:

Sustainable and Inclusive Business Kenya Project Director Karine Boomsma said Kenya had made progress in advancing circularity but continued to face policy, compliance and financial challenges. She said the country needed coordinated action across sectors to make the transition economically viable.

“We see that still there are barriers but there's also great developments and we're slowly progressing,” Boomsma said, pointing to Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) as a regulation supporting the circular economy.

She said circularity was creating opportunities through reuse, repair, refurbishment, remanufacturing and recovery of resources. “When we're keeping resources in the loop, we're actually creating great opportunities for people,” she said.

Albert Wambugu, CEO of Hand in Hand Eastern Africa, addresses the media during the 11th Annual Circular Economy Conference in Nairobi on Wednesday, September 30, 2026. //PHOTO COURTESY.

Hand in Hand Eastern Africa CEO Albert Wambugu said the circular economy should be viewed not only as an environmental agenda but also as a livelihoods and poverty-reduction strategy.

“Circularity is a livelihood issue,” Wambugu said, arguing that communities can earn income by recovering value from materials that would otherwise be wasted.

He said Kenya could unlock more employment by moving away from the traditional model of producing, using and disposing of products.

“If they are looked at only from a linear aspect where you produce and then you use, then you dispose, that leaves a lot of value which is not utilized,” Wambugu said.

Entrepreneur Kizito Ouma said circularity was also providing young people with practical skills and entrepreneurship opportunities, particularly in the repair of computers, mobile phones and household appliances.

“You can disassemble a gadget, you can organize. So from there, it can increase the value of that gadget instead of just disposing it,” Ouma said.

The conference, held under the theme “Resilience,” brought together businesses, innovators, policymakers, researchers, academia and communities to discuss practical circular and sustainable solutions aimed at creating jobs, strengthening local economies and turning waste into opportunity.