From Garbage to Green Jobs: Nairobi Pushes New Approach to Waste Management
By Staff Reporter.
NAIROBI, Kenya, August 31, 2026 — Nairobi is seeking to change the way it handles waste by moving beyond garbage collection and disposal towards a system that turns discarded materials into useful products and jobs.
The shift is being driven through the second edition of the Safisha Kanairo campaign, a partnership between Nairobi City County Government and Zoomlion Kenya that is targeting accumulated waste and illegal dumping sites across the capital’s 17 sub-counties.
At Korogocho Market, the change is already visible.
Large piles of waste that had accumulated beside the busy market are being evacuated, giving traders and customers a cleaner environment. Much of the waste had been organic material generated by businesses and households in the area.
Virginia Warau, a trader at the market, says garbage previously remained uncollected for months, creating an unhygienic environment.
David Kirui, Secretary of the Korogocho Market Traders Association, says improved waste collection is also helping businesses.
“The cleanliness of the market affects business. When the environment is better, customers are more comfortable coming here,” Kirui says.
The cleanup, however, is only one part of the plan.
Waste collected from Nairobi is currently transported to the Dandora dumpsite. Zoomlion Kenya says this could change once its waste recycling and value-addition facility under construction in Ruai becomes operational.
The facility is expected to sort waste and process organic material into compost and fertiliser, while plastic waste could be converted into pellets for manufacturing products such as waste bins.
The model could create a market for materials that are currently treated as rubbish while opening opportunities for young people, waste pickers and businesses involved in recycling and manufacturing.
Zoomlion Kenya Operations Manager Laud Mike Tagoe says the objective is to create a long-term waste economy rather than continue relying on dumping.
The company says its operations have already generated more than 5,000 direct and indirect green jobs.
But the transition will require more than investment in recycling facilities.
Ruaraka Sub-County Environment Officer Evans Ochieng says five illegal dumping sites in the area have already been closed, demonstrating the importance of combining enforcement with reliable waste collection.
The partners also plan to install skip containers, roll-on/roll-off containers and transfer stations at areas that have been cleared to prevent residents and businesses from returning to illegal dumping.
Meanwhile, major restoration works are underway at the Dandora dumpsite, where Zoomlion is undertaking waste compaction, re-engineering and capping.
The company says the works have already helped reduce foul odours affecting neighbouring communities.
The planned transformation reflects a growing push to treat waste as an economic resource rather than an environmental burden.
For Nairobi, the challenge now is whether the city can sustain the cleanup while building a waste-management system capable of keeping garbage out of streets, markets and illegal dumpsites.
