SOLVING POLLUTION IN Kenya

Country Summary

Kenya has one of the most dynamic economies in Africa, yet it is facing a number of pressing economic, environmental, and social challenges. Natural resource depletion, environmental pollution, high poverty rates, and rising unemployment threaten the country’s ability to prosper. Human activities and settlements have brought unprecedented disruption to Kenya’s ecosystems. In addition, the sources of pollution from e-waste and industries that generate e-waste, such as manufacturers and distributors of electrical and electronic equipment, are increasing. The country’s economy is highly dependent on climate-sensitive sectors such as agriculture, hydroelectric energy generation, and tourism. The informal sector, which employs some eighty percent of the nation’s workers, is a primary contributor to the region’s pollution burden. Waste from these unregulated industries, including mercury from small-scale gold mining and lead from Used Lead-Acid Batteries (ULABs), is an under-recognized issue that can have negative health consequences for communities across the region.

Pure Earth began implementing the Toxic Sites Identification Program (TSIP) in Kenya in 2009. In 2016, with continued funding from the EC and in partnership with UNIDO, Pure Earth expanded its work in the country, aiming to identify and screen contaminated sites with potential human health impact. The specific outputs planned for the activity included creating a regional inventory of sites, developing partnerships with local stakeholders and relevant agencies, and identifying possible priority interventions based on assessment of potential health risks.