Kenya is one of the few African countries that is actively involved in recycling. What’s the reason behind this?

It’s a collaborative effort between the government, the people and the private entities in Kenya. For many years, waste from various quarters has been left to affect the Kenyan environment. With the increasing awareness of the risks of global warming, a lot of efforts have been taken to protect the environment. The Kenyan government has been taking a number of initiatives and the people are also responding positively to the government’s advice and guidance. This collaborative effort has made waste management a success in the country.

Many African and Asian countries continue to remain as the dumping ground for the developed countries. What immediate steps can be taken to change this?

In 2015, the Kenyan government enacted the Scrap Metal Act, which provides an institutional framework and stringent measures to regulate the scrap metal market. Hence Kenya stands out from the rest of the continent as one of the few countries to have managed waste better. In Kenya, most of the scrap is recycled and reused. The scrap that’s coming in feeds our own industries. We are inviting investors to make use of the recyclable scrap. Through these efforts, the government has ensured that Kenya is no longer a dumping site and I’m sure other African countries will follow suit, by replicating this model.

How are funding and infrastructure supporting recycling in Kenya?

The current government, under William Ruto, has made great efforts in ensuring resources are available for the manufacturers. It is encouraging investment into such companies. As a government, we are doing a lot to protect the manufacturing industry, through which we are creating employment opportunities for the people of Kenya.

The manufacturers are given incentives such as land and favourable tariffs. At the same time, we are inviting many investors Interview with Francis Mugo, Chairman, Scrap Metal Council, Kenya in the manufacturing sector to assist us in resolving the waste issue.

How is metal scrap managed in Kenya?

I can confidently say that metal - both ferrous and non ferrous - are efficiently managed in Kenya, because there are policies and guidelines to do so. There are many metal recycling companies which have put up their plants in Kenya and scrap materials are readily available to them.