Working with the national government and five counties, Nairobi, Mombasa, Nakuru, Kisumu and Uasin Gishu, SWIFT supports the development of policy environments that encourage innovation, attract private sector investment and enable sustainable waste management solutions.
Globally, governments are increasingly recognizing waste as a valuable resource rather than simply a disposal challenge. Circular economy approaches that prioritize waste reduction, reuse, recycling and resource recovery are helping countries reduce environmental impacts, create green jobs and build more resilient economies. In Kenya, evolving national legislation and growing urbanization have highlighted the need for counties to update their policies to keep pace with emerging waste management challenges and opportunities.
It is within this context that KCIC, together with the County Government of Nakuru and the Nakuru County Assembly, convened a two-day review of the Nakuru County Waste Management Policy and Act, 2021, bringing together policymakers, legislators and technical experts to assess the existing framework and identify opportunities for improvement.
The review found that while the existing Policy and Act established an important foundation for managing waste, they no longer fully reflected the sector's evolving needs. Participants identified opportunities to improve implementation, coordination and enforcement while incorporating stronger provisions for waste segregation, recycling, resource recovery and value addition. The revised framework is expected to encourage innovation, unlock investment in circular economy enterprises and improve service delivery across the county.
Vincent Ogaya, Senior Research and Policy Officer at KCIC, said effective policies are fundamental to building sustainable waste management systems and creating the conditions for innovation to thrive.
"Sustainable waste management goes beyond infrastructure. It requires policies that encourage innovation, investment and collaboration. This review presents an opportunity to build a responsive legal framework that supports circular economy enterprises, strengthens resource recovery and enables counties to transform waste into economic opportunity."
Grace Karanja, Director for Environment, Energy, Climate Change and Natural Resources at the County Government of Nakuru, said the review reflects a shift from traditional waste disposal towards more sustainable resource management.
"We are no longer talking about just waste removal. We are talking about a progressive circular approach to waste management, from collection to recycling and value addition, so that what we regard as waste becomes a resource," she said.
She added that an updated policy framework will help create green jobs for youth and women, attract sustainable investment, conserve natural resources and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Once the review process is complete, the revised Policy and Act will undergo public participation before being tabled before the Nakuru County Assembly for consideration. Once adopted, the updated framework is expected to strengthen waste governance, support the growth of circular economy enterprises and position waste as a driver of green economic development in Nakuru County.