Kenya could Unlock Over USD 700 Million from Waste Sector as New Circular Economy Investment Prospectus Highlights Investable Pipeline

The prospectus was launched at the Kenya International Investment Conference (KIICO), where policymakers, investors, entrepreneurs and development partners gathered to discuss opportunities to scale circular economy solutions and accelerate investment.

Kenya generates approximately 22,000 tonnes of waste every day, yet only around 4% of waste is currently recycled. Translating this waste into value across five sectors could unlock over $700 million in economic value and contribute approximately 0.5% to Kenya’s GDP by 2030, while supporting job creation and strengthening domestic supply chains.

The prospectus reframes waste not only as an environmental challenge but as a strategic economic opportunity for Kenya, linked to more efficient use of materials, innovative product design and business models, and circular systems for reuse, repair and recycling. The country already has a growing ecosystem of more than 120 circular economy businesses operating across the value chain. By recovering materials that would otherwise be lost, Kenya can create new industries, strengthen manufacturing value chains and reduce reliance on imported raw materials. It focuses on opportunities that could accelerate Kenya’s circular economy transition over the next three to seven years, highlighting where private capital can benefit from and support scalable circular solutions across materials, products and systems.

The launch comes at a time of growing momentum for the circular economy in Kenya and globally. Recent policy developments, including the Sustainable Waste Management Act and Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) frameworks, are helping create a more enabling environment for investment, while global shifts in supply chains are driving greater demand for recycled and secondary materials.

Despite this momentum, investment in the sector has often been constrained by fragmented information about the opportunity and limited visibility of emerging businesses and projects. The prospectus aims to address this gap by clarifying investment opportunities across circular economy value chains (including sectors such as packaging, electronics and textiles), highlighting emerging companies and pipeline opportunities, and identifying the enabling conditions needed to unlock further investment across reuse, repair and recycling systems.

The prospectus was commissioned by Invest Kenya and developed in collaboration with global system change advisory firm Systemiq, circular economy platform TakaTaka Ni Mali and ALN Kenya.

“Kenya has a significant opportunity to unlock economic value from materials that are currently lost through our waste systems,” said John Mwendwa, CEO, Invest Kenya. “The Circular Economy Investment Prospectus highlights how circular economy solutions can strengthen manufacturing value chains, create jobs and attract new investment. It forms part of a broader effort to position Kenya as a regional hub for circular materials and recycling, supporting our ambitions for green industrialisation, sustainable growth and job creation.”

“Kenya has all the ingredients needed to build a thriving circular economy,” said Ben Dixon, Partner and Head of Materials and Circular Economy, Systemiq. “There is strong policy momentum, a growing ecosystem of businesses and significant investor interest. The prospectus helps translate this momentum into a clearer investment story by identifying where capital can support circular infrastructure, services and businesses. This work is part of Systemiq’s commitment to working with local partners to advance sustainability transitions in Kenya.”

“Kenya already has a vibrant ecosystem of entrepreneurs, recyclers and circular economy businesses working to recover value from waste,” said Mary Ngechu, Founder & Patron, TakaTaka Ni Mali. “What is needed now is greater coordination, stronger partnerships and sustained investment to help these solutions scale. The prospectus highlights the opportunities that exist today and provides a platform for stronger collaboration across government, investors and industry.”

“A strong enabling environment is critical to unlocking investment in emerging sectors such as the circular economy,” said Rosa Nduati-Mutero, Managing Partner, ALN Kenya. Kenya has already made important progress through policy reforms that support waste recovery and circular business models. By bringing together insights from across the ecosystem, the prospectus helps clarify the policy and regulatory frameworks needed to support long-term investment in the sector.”

The partners emphasised that the prospectus is intended not only as a reference document, but as a catalyst for coordinated action, partnerships and investment to accelerate the development of circular economy projects across Kenya.

Click here to download and read the Waste and Circular Economy Prospectus. 

Notes to Editors:

About the Circular Economy Investment Prospectus
Waste Management and Circular Economy: Investment Pathways and Opportunities in Kenya was commissioned by the Kenya Investment Authority (Invest Kenya) and developed in collaboration with Systemiq, ALN Kenya and TakaTaka Ni Mali. The prospectus analyses investment opportunities across Kenya’s circular economy value chain, highlights emerging companies and pipeline opportunities, and identifies the enabling conditions needed to unlock investment in the sector. It further identifies four investor archetypes across circular economy value chains and highlights investment pathways for different types of capital, from early-stage enterprise financing to infrastructure-scale investment.

About Systemiq
Systemiq is a systems change advisory company that works with businesses, policymakers, investors and civil society organisations to reimagine and reshape the systems that sit at the heart of society – energy, nature and food, materials, built-environment, and finance – to accelerate the shift to a more sustainable and inclusive economy. The organisation led the analysis, facilitation of insights from key stakeholders, and was the lead author of the prospectus, identifying investment pathways across Kenya’s circular economy value chain. Founded in 2016, Systemiq is a certified B Corp, and has offices in Brazil, France, Germany, Indonesia, the Netherlands, the UK and the USA. Systemiq will be establishing an office in Kenya in 2026. Find out more at www.systemiq.earth or via LinkedIn.

About TakaTaka Ni Mali
TakaTaka Ni Mali, founded in 2017, is a Kenyan circular economy organisation improving waste management through digital platforms and recovery infrastructure. Its platforms enable waste traceability (via Ecomali), ESG reporting (via Ecoloop), and connections between collectors, aggregators, and recyclers, supporting more transparent and efficient waste value chains. TakaTaka Ni Mali led on critical stakeholder convening and insight gathering.