Rada Safi campaign ends with fresh call to turn waste into wealth


Taifa news 

Macharia David 

Kenya must move beyond simply talking about clean environments and start turning waste awareness into real action, the Kenya Extended Producer Responsibility Organization (KEPRO) has said.

The call came as KEPRO brought its Rada Safi campaign to a close, saying the initiative had demonstrated the power of communication in changing how Kenyans view waste and encouraging responsible waste management.

KEPRO CEO James Odongo said the country had made progress in adopting Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), but warned that registration by manufacturers should result in measurable compliance and environmental impact.

“Manufacturers are registering with Producer Responsibility Organizations, but registration does not always translate into compliance,” Odongo said.

He said Kenya needed a waste management system that works across the entire value chain, bringing together government, producers, consumers, recyclers and waste handlers.

Rada Safi took the waste conversation beyond traditional environmental campaigns by using billboards, matatu branding, television, radio, digital platforms, influencers and public engagements to reach Kenyans in spaces where they live, work and travel.

KEPRO Communications Lead Winnie Chepkorir said the campaign focused on three key messages—responsible waste management, waste separation and seeing waste as an economic resource.

But as the campaign concluded, stakeholders acknowledged that creating awareness is only the first step.

The bigger challenge is getting households, businesses and institutions to separate waste, reduce contamination and support recycling systems that can turn discarded materials into valuable resources.

Kenya Association of Waste Recyclers Secretary General Richard Kainikia said the country must change the perception that waste has no value.

“Waste is material to us. It is a genuine business,” Kainikia said, stressing that the circular economy begins when people identify value in what others consider rubbish.

Stakeholders identified the high cost of recycling, inadequate infrastructure, problematic packaging materials and poor waste separation as some of the major barriers facing Kenya's circular economy.

They estimated that the country has achieved 75–80 per cent transition to the EPR system, but said stronger compliance and implementation are needed to complete the journey.

The message from Rada Safi is therefore clear: a clean Kenya cannot be achieved through awareness alone. It requires action.

The campaign will now give way to the 4th KEPRO Annual Circular Packaging Conference (KACPC IV) on October 2, 2026, at Hyatt Regency Nairobi, Westlands.

With Rada Safi having started the conversation, KACPC IV will seek to take it a step further—from awareness to action, and from waste to economic opportunity.

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