The Kenya Climate Innovation Center (KCIC) has been feted as the “Circular Economy Financier of the Year” award at the 2024 Circular Economy Conference and Awards, hosted in Nairobi on November 14. This prestigious honor highlights KCIC’s twelve years of dedicated support to climate innovation and sustainability in Kenya and East Africa, particularly in waste management, renewable energy, water, agriculture, and commercial forestry.
KCIC’s work focuses on the synergy between climate innovation and entrepreneurship, championing small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) as frontline change agents in the climate arena. By offering a comprehensive incubation and acceleration program, KCIC provides partner enterprises with mentorship, business advisory services, technical assistance, and innovative financing. This multifaceted approach aims to empower these enterprises to address climate challenges with impactful solutions.
Reflecting on this accomplishment, KCIC CEO Joseph Murabula expressed gratitude to the organization’s partners and the resilient entrepreneurs who have been instrumental in the journey.
“Today’s award is a collective achievement,” Murabula stated. “It’s the result of hard work from the incredible team at KCIC, our partners, and the innovative enterprises we support—each demonstrating the vast potential of climate entrepreneurship in Kenya and beyond.”
The KCIC financing model is comprehensive, beginning with a rigorous due diligence process to assess enterprise needs, examine business records, and provide essential mentorship and technical support. Financing is typically the final step in KCIC’s support, ensuring that entrepreneurs are well-prepared to absorb and utilize funding responsibly.
“We emphasize readiness before financing,” said Jabez Mutune, SWIFT Program Manager at KCIC. “This approach promotes sustainable business growth and maximizes impact.”
Since its inception, KCIC has supported over 3,500 enterprises in Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania, leveraging more than USD 63 million in financing over the past decade.
This year’s Circular Economy Conference centered on the theme of the “WE economy,” which emphasizes circularity, climate and biodiversity awareness, people power, and ethical business practices. These guiding pillars reflect a shared vision where sustainability is not just an ideal but a concrete, achievable reality. The conference convened stakeholders from various sectors to explore pathways and innovations for advancing Kenya’s circular economy transition.
In addition to KCIC’s win, two enterprises it supports—Baus Taka and M-taka—earned accolades in the “Circular Economy Tech Disruptor” category. Led by Dr. Tayba Hatimy and Benson Abila respectively, these enterprises are pioneering waste management solutions in the cities of Mombasa and Kisumu through technological innovations and community engagement.
The 9th Circular Economy Conference and Awards couldn’t have been held at a better time, coming just a week after Kenya gazetted the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) regulations. The EPR regulations represent a transformative step toward a circular, green, and inclusive economy by assigning responsibility for managing waste to producers across the entire life cycle of their products. This landmark regulatory shift holds significant implications for Kenya’s sustainable waste management landscape.
