Inaugural ewaste summit to turn new producer laws into action

From left: Maureen Adongo, George Pflomm, Hanna Dittmeyer, and Bronwyne Andabwa of AHK Services Eastern Africa Ltd at the launch of the baseline study on the Waste from Electrical and Electronic Equipment value chain in Kenya. [David Njaaga, Standard]

Kenya is enforcing new laws requiring producers to manage products from creation to disposal to curb the country's growing electronic waste problem and boost recycling infrastructure.

The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Innovation Summit, set for September 16 to September 18 at Strathmore Business School in Nairobi, will bring together Kenyan and German experts to develop practical recycling solutions.

Christian Engels, General Manager of AHK Services Eastern Africa Ltd, noted the summit will connect German expertise with Kenyan innovation.

"E-waste is one of the fastest-growing waste streams in Kenya, and tackling it requires international partnerships and close collaboration between private sector players and the government," Engels explained.

"Through our programme, we are linking German know-how and EPR experience with Kenyan innovation. Together with our partners, we are transforming regulatory changes into practical solutions that support companies across the e-waste value chain and promote circularity and sustainability," he added.

The summit is part of the Kenyan-German GreenTech Innovation Programme on WEEE, funded by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection under its Export Initiative Environmental Protection and implemented by AHK Services Eastern Africa Ltd.

The first day will feature an official opening, showcases on informal sector models and lithium-ion battery reuse, pitches from Kenyan and German companies and the announcement of a competition winner among Kenyan recyclers for the use of a German recycling machine.

The second and third days will be invite-only workshops on collection models, scalable business solutions, small and medium enterprise capacity building and recycling technologies.

Speakers will include Alexander Fierley, Deputy Head of Mission at the German Embassy in Nairobi, Dr. Ayub Macharia, Director at the National Environment Management Authority, Zilpher Owiti, Acting Chief Executive Officer at the ICT Authority, Lea von Bressensdorf, Co-Project Lead at the Chambers for GreenTech DIHK Service GmbH and Engels.

Beyond the summit, the programme has produced a baseline study on WEEE flows, supported the Electronic Producer Responsibility Organisation of Kenya and facilitated exchanges between German companies and Kenyan stakeholders.