Circular Entrepreneurship in Kenya

Can circular entrepreneurship reshape Kenya’s waste economy?

In this episode, Richard Kainika (Kenya Association of Waste Recyclers), David Ongare (National Environment Management Authority), and Hanna Dittmeyer (AHK Services Eastern Africa Ltd) share how Kenya is building circular systems from the ground up through informal networks, selective regulation, and everyday business ingenuity.

From secondhand markets and plastic recycling to extended producer responsibility and policy enforcement, Kenya’s circular economy is already in motion. But challenges remain, especially in waste infrastructure and electronic waste management.

Recorded live in Kenya, this episode opens the Circularity.fm series on circularity in Kenya, spotlighting how local actors are turning waste into value and shifting systems from the bottom up.

People
David Ongare, Director Compliance at NEMA Kenyan's National Environment Management Authority.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-ongare/

Hanna Dittmeyer, Head of the Competence Centre Energy, Environment and Sustainable Economy of the AHK Services Eastern Africa Ltd at Kenya Association of Waste Recyclers.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/hanna-dittmeyer/

Richard Kainika,  Secretary General of the Kenya Association of Waste Recyclers.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-kainika/

Patrick Hypscher, Circular Business Strategist, PaaS Expert
https://www.linkedin.com/in/hypscher/

Chapters

About
Richard Kainika is Secretary-General of the Kenya Association of Waste Recyclers, the umbrella body for private sector companies recovering value from waste through recycling, refurbishment, composting, and related activities.

David Ongare is Director of Compliance at Kenya’s National Environment Management Authority (NEMA), the government’s lead agency for supervising and coordinating environmental matters under the Environmental Management and Coordination Act.

Hannah Dittmeyer heads the Competence Center for Energy, Environment, and Sustainable Economy at the Delegation of German Industry and Commerce for Eastern Africa, which supports bilateral business relations and circular economy ventures across Kenya, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda.

Further Links
https://nema.go.ke/#
https://pureplanetrecyclers.com/
https://kenia.ahk.de/en

One-page Summary
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