The Kenyan government has cemented partnership with international bodies, the corporate sector, and not for profit organizations to establish a strategy of tackling growing menace of e-waste. Senior Officials in the Ministry of Environment and Mineral Resources acknowledged that e-waste is a critical and emerging challenge to the environment. Rapid growth of information and communications technology and electronics industry despite its multiple benefits to the economy and livelihoods has worsened pollution from e-waste. Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Environment and Mineral Resources, Ali Mohamed, said that Kenya generates three thousand tons of computer generated waste annually. Unregulated imports of refurbished computers, laptops, mobile phones and refrigerators into the country are to blame for the heavy load of e-waste in Kenya. “E-waste is emerging as new form of pollution as a huge portion of the population embrace modern electronic gadgets to improve on their livelihoods. However, unsafe disposal of these gadgets is having negative impacts on the environment, health and the economy”, said the Permanent Secretary. Though Kenya is yet to develop a policy on e-waste, efforts are being scaled up to establish partnership with other stakeholders to seek a harmonious approach to tackling the challenge. As a signatory to the Basel convention on hazardous waste, Kenya has established long term partnership with the international community to tackle growing pollution occasioned by e-waste. BM
