Kenyan government to invest in e-waste management

The Kenyan government has set aside three sites to handle e-waste separation and management at a cost of US$31.2 million.

The sites will address the thorny issue of e-waste management in the country, where e-waste ends up in landfills, said B. M Mbogo, a public health officer in the Ministry of Health.

A site in Ruai will be the largest, measuring 200 acres; sites in Kariobangi South and Ngong Forest will each measure 35 acres. The present dumpsite in Dandora will be moved to Ruai.

Mbogo announced the plan during a workshop presenting findings on e-waste management in the country. The research was led by University of Nairobi professor Tim Waema.

The research team identified electronic waste as CRT (cathode ray tube) monitors, printers, capacitors, transistors, batteries, network cables, circuit boards, diodes and cables. The study did not cover household electronics like refrigerators, television sets, microwaves and other gadgets dumped in the main site in Dandora.

The government will invest in training waste handlers on separation and create environmental awareness on the effects of mixing electronic waste with general waste, said Mbogo.

The study found that once equipment is deemed unusable, it is sold to collectors, refurbishers and hardware shops. Two-thirds of the waste is the disassembled and sold as spare parts to repair other equipment.

From the interview sample, only 25 percent indicated that they have a policy on extended supplier responsibility covering trade-in terms that must be met by the user, said Waema.

Waema proposed an amendment to the existing regulations to include e-waste guidelines on separation and disposal.

"The process of making laws takes a long time," he explained. If we decide to come up with a new law, there is no way we will have it in place by 2010. The best way is to develop regulations, which can be approved by the minister."

The regulations will include acceptable means of proper disposal to protect the environment.

While the study involved government ministries, the private sector and the informal sector dealing in garbage collection, Waema says there are disjointed efforts within government ministries.

"The Ministry of Local Government has its own policies, Ministry of Environment has its own, and the Nairobi City Council has its department with varied regulations," said Waema. "There is need to harmonize all the policies."