Waste Pickers Recognized as Key Partners in Kenya’s Waste Management Sector

 Waste pickers in Kenya have received renewed recognition for their critical role in the country’s waste management system following a high-level stakeholder meeting convened by the National Environment Management Authority with support from the Royal Danish Embassy.

The meeting, held at a Nairobi hotel, brought together stakeholders in the waste management sector including government officials, county representatives, waste picker associations, and producer responsibility organizations. The discussions focused on the integration of waste pickers into the national waste management framework under Kenya’s Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Regulations, 2024.

Speaking at the forum, the Cabinet Secretary for the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Forestry, Deborah Barasa, said the government has introduced policies aimed at strengthening the role of waste pickers in environmental governance.

Barasa noted that the ministry has formally recognized waste workers as environmental workers, a provision anchored in the Sustainable Waste Management Act. She emphasized that waste pickers should be regarded as critical partners in the waste management value chain, particularly in advancing the principles of a circular economy under the new EPR regulations.

“The government recognizes the contribution of waste pickers and is committed to putting in place policies that improve their welfare and safeguard their health as they carry out their work,” she said.

The Chairman of the National Environment Management Authority, Emilio Mugo, also highlighted the vital role waste pickers play in managing waste across the country. He noted that the sector is dynamic and requires close coordination among all stakeholders to ensure effective waste management.

Meanwhile, the Director General of National Environment Management Authority, Mamo B. Mamo, described waste pickers as the “unsung heroes” of the waste management value chain.

Dr. Mamo said Kenya can only achieve a clean environment if waste generators take responsibility for the waste they produce, in line with the EPR framework. He added that although waste management functions are devolved to county governments, the authority developed 10 minimum compliance points in 2015 to guide counties in the management of waste.

He further urged county governments to establish Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs) to improve waste segregation and recycling efforts, which would enhance the efficiency of waste management systems.

The forum also included participants from the Ministry of Cooperatives and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development, the Nairobi City County Government, waste picker associations, and producer responsibility organizations such as Kenya Producer Responsibility Organisation and Hazardous Waste Producers Responsibility Organisation.

Stakeholders at the meeting called for continued dialogue and collaboration to improve working conditions for waste pickers while strengthening Kenya’s waste management systems and advancing the country’s transition toward a circular economy.