From crisis to opportunity: It is time to rethink waste management

Dandora dumpsite in Nairobi. [File, Standard]

Waste, by any definition, is what we discard-items we no longer want or need. However, how we manage this discarded material reveals our society's values. In Kenya, the responsibility for waste management is devolved to county governments as outlined in the Constitution. The role of the national government is to establish the policies, standards and norms and provide capacity development to the county governments. The current practice in waste management is to transition from linear to circular economy. While some progress has been made, we remain far from where we need to be in aligning with the goals and principles of circularity.

Kenya generates approximately 8 million tonnes of waste annually, encompassing domestic, industrial, medical, electronic, and more. From banana peels to plastic bottles, and from chemical sludge to e-waste, the sheer volume and complexity of waste is accelerating. It's no longer merely a sanitation issue; it is evolving into a public health crisis, an environmental emergency, and a missed economic opportunity.