County Governments Urged to Adopt Sustainable Waste Management Systems
NAIROBI, Kenya, May 7 – As Kenya’s waste management systems buckle under the pressure of rapid urbanization, County governments are being urged to pivot toward more inclusive, accountable and sustainable waste management systems.
The call to action headlined the ‘Sustainable Solid Waste Governance and Local Democracy Systems’ conference held in Nairobi by the Centre for Environment Justice and Development (CEJAD) and the Swedish International Centre for Local Democracy (ICLD).
This comes at a critical time not only for Kenya but for the world as the growing crisis of waste, particularly plastic pollution and its far-reaching impacts on human health, ecosystems and the climate.
Globally and nationally, waste generation continues to rise driven by urbanization, consumption patterns and economic growth.
In Kenya, the challenge is particularly acute in urban centers, where waste management systems are under pressure, the conference underscored the urgency of sustainable waste governance and called for a shift from waste management to sustainable materials management and circular economy approaches.
The three-day conference held from May 4-6 2026 brought together representatives National government, County governments, Development partners, Civil society, Private Sector, academia and Waste Picker organizations.
Dr. Festus Ngeno, Principal Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Forestry in his speech delivered on his behalf by Molu Wato, Director of Waste Management and Pollution Control at the Ministry, stated that Across Kenya, waste pickers contribute significantly to recycling, material recovery and environmental protection Yet, too often, they remain excluded from formal systems.
“This conference rightly emphasizes local democratic systems Waste management is fundamentally a devolved function in Kenya and counties are at the frontline of service delivery”, said Dr. Ngeno.
“However, effective governance requires more than institutional mandates. It requires inclusive decision-making, transparency, accountability, and citizen participation, We must therefore strengthen participatory platforms that enable communities, civil society and informal actors to actively shape policies and solutions”.
PS. Ng’eno added that Implementation must be strengthened through capacity-building at the county level, adequate financing mechanisms, and robust enforcement and monitoring systems.
“County governments are central to the integration of waste pickers, as they bear the constitutional mandate for waste management in Kenya and are best positioned to translate national policies into locally responsive, participatory systems that reflect realities on the ground”.
By strengthening collaboration with grassroots actors and institutionalizing their role, county governments can build more accountable, efficient, and equitable waste management systems.
Research findings from Centre for Environment Justice and Development (CEJAD) and Swedish International Centre for Local Democracy (ICLD), released during the conference, highlighted key lessons for advancing inclusive waste governance which include;
Integrating grassroots actors into decision-making processes is central to advancing a just transition.
Participatory tools such as Democracy Labs (community dialogue spaces that bring people together to openly discuss challenges and co-create solutions) and participatory video (where communities use film to share their experiences and explore issues) help foster more meaningful engagement between waste pickers, county governments and other actors in the waste sector.
These spaces help strengthen accountability, recognize the environmental contributions of waste pickers and support more responsive and locally grounded waste governance system.
Inclusive waste governance is fundamentally a democratic issue, it requires that those who contribute to service delivery are recognized, supported and given a voice in how systems are designed and implemented.
Griffins Ochieng’, Executive Director at Centre for Environment Justice and Development (CEJAD) noted that the conference served as a practical reflection of the research findings, applying participatory approaches such as the World Café dialogue method to ensure that the voices of grassroots actors, including waste pickers, were meaningfully included in discussions and decision-making processes.
“The Sustainable Waste Management Act and the Extended Producer Responsibility framework present a critical opportunity to transform Kenya’s waste sector”, said Mr Ochieng.
“However, this transformation will only be meaningful if waste pickers are formally recognized and integrated into systems in ways that guarantee dignified and sustainable livelihoods, A just transition must ensure that those who have long driven recovery and recycling are not displaced but empowered.” He added.
Maria Jose Zapata, Research Director at the Swedish International Centre for Local Democracy (ICLD stated that Sustainable waste management is not only a technical challenge, but a question of local democracy in practice.
“When municipalities create space for dialogue, strengthen accountability, and invest in inclusive partnerships, they build systems that are more responsive, legitimate, and resilient, Platforms such as this conference are critical they enable peer learning, amplify local solutions and ensure that governance is shaped by those most affected,” said Maria.
Additionally, Key recommendations from the conference for advancing an inclusive and accountable waste governance system includes;
Local and national governments should Ensure waste picker organizations are included in the design and Implementation of EPR frameworks and plastic regulation frameworks.
Establish long term financial and logistical support for participatory spaces that require learning, unlearning and re-learning.
Local governments could formalize co-created spaces like democracy labs within waste governance structures, recognizing the importance of such spaces in supporting inclusive waste governance.
Further, they note that Collaboration should be strengthened across national and county governments, the private sector, civil society and researchers to drive coordinated and effective action.
The implementation of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) should be strengthened to ensure producers take full accountability for the entire lifecycle of their products.
Advancing inclusive governance by ensuring meaningful participation of communities and marginalized groups in decision-making processes.
Toxics-free circular economy approaches should be promoted, prioritizing reduction, redesign, reuse and the elimination of toxic chemicals.
Public awareness and education should be strengthened to support behaviour change and promote responsible waste management practices.
“No single actor can solve the waste crisis alone, We must deliberately deepen collaboration among, National and county governments, Civil society organizations, Private sector actors,Development partners and Academia and research institutions”.
