CS Tuiya invites Danish waste recyclers to invest in Kenya

Environment CS Soipan Tuiya has invited Danish waste recycling companies to invest in Kenya's emerging circular economy.

She said the country has established a robust regulatory framework to anchor the sector, assuring them of government's support. 

She spoke on Thursday during the official opening of the 2023 Loop Forum in Copenhagen, Denmark, where she delivered the key note address at the invitation of the Danish Government.

"I therefore invite Danish, and by extension, Scandinavian investors interested in tapping into Kenya's waste economy to bring their circular economy solutions to Nairobi," she said.

"I assure you of my Ministry's and the government's full support as you bring your investments to Kenya."

The Forum is Scandinavia's largest exhibition of circular economy technologies, products and innovations.

It was attended by circular economy entrepreneurs, innovators and industrialists from Europe and the rest of the world.

"We look forward to joint learning and joint information exchange. We look forward to a robust partnership that will help us realise zero waste as we make circular economy a reality for Kenya," CS Tuiya added.

In February 2023, Kenya hosted her inaugural Loop Forum with the  support of the Danish and Dutch governments.

The exhibition brought together over one thousand participants from across the world.

Tuiya, who was introduced to the forum by Denmark's Ambassador Ole Thonke, said circular economy was a top priority for Kenya because of its centrality in the fight against climate change and immense economic potential.

She regretted that the eight million tonnes of waste generated by Kenyans annually ends up in the country's overstretched landfills and streets.

This, she noted, leads to choking up the environment instead of being used as raw material in production processes that will generate jobs and revenue.

Alongside circular economy, CS Tuiya listed restoration of degraded ecosystems through growing of 15 billion trees by 2032 campaign and acceleration of climate change adaptation and mitigation interventions as her Ministry's other key priorities.

Tuiya said the sustainable waste management policy launched in March had mainstreamed global best practices in waste management.

This is including a requirement for producers to invest in technologies and products that are reusable and recyclable.

She added that it brought to an end waste dumpsites in the country by transitioning them into sanitary landfills as well as introduction of composting and material recovery facilities.

Other progressive provisions in the regulations include a requirement for waste generators to segregate waste at source into different fractions and ensure appropriate transportation to designated composting and material recovery facilities.

Despite its past struggles with sustainable waste management, Tuiya said Kenya had distinguished herself as a global leader in ecosystem protection through bold policy decisions including the ban on use of plastic carrier bags.

"In August 2017, Kenya made international headlines with the ban on the use, manufacture and importation of plastic carrier bags used for commercial and household packaging," she noted.

"The ban on carriers bags was followed by another ban in 2019 on the use of single-use plastics in protected areas, including National Parks, beaches, forests, and conservation areas."

The CS spoke on the inaugural African Climate Summit that Kenya will co-host with the African Union in Nairobi from September 4 to 9, 2023, saying the meeting seeks to consolidate the continent's position ahead of COP 28 in the UAE.

"His Excellency President William Ruto, who is also the Chair of the Committee of African Heads of State and Government Committee on Climate Change (CAHOSSC), would like out of the Summit a Nairobi declaration that would state and contain the African Agenda towards COP 28,"Tuiya said.