Community-Led Waste Management Initiative Targets Transformation in Mathare
Mathare, one of Nairobi’s largest informal settlements, is taking significant steps toward addressing long-standing waste management challenges that have impacted residents’ health, environment, and livelihoods. Despite years of investment, efforts to improve sanitation and living conditions in Mathare have often failed due to fragmented planning and the absence of coordinated governance. Now, a new partnership aims to change that through a comprehensive, community-led approach.
A consortium including SDI Kenya, Nuvoni, Ghetto Foundation, and Mathare Social Justice Centre is spearheading a holistic waste management strategy that advocates for Mathare to be declared a Special Planning Area (SPA) by the Nairobi City County Government. The model draws inspiration from the successful Mukuru SPA, which introduced simplified, sustainable infrastructure systems. The Mathare project will focus on three interconnected areas — solid waste management, liquid waste infrastructure, and productive public spaces — to create lasting, systemic transformation.
At the heart of the initiative is community participation. Through collaboration with the African Cities Research Consortium (ACRC), local residents are helping co-develop low-cost, practical waste solutions tailored to the area’s realities. The first pilot, taking place in Mathare 4B village, will serve as a test case for scaling up to other settlements. The project also seeks to reclaim underused or contested spaces and convert them into safe, green, and inclusive public areas, enhancing quality of life and promoting environmental resilience.
To ensure broad impact, the project brings together the Nairobi City County Government, the Nairobi River Commission, and national bodies such as NEMA, formalizing collaboration through a memorandum of understanding with the county’s Department of Climate Change. Community groups like the Mathare River Adoption Campaign — already active in river clean-ups, waste segregation, and urban farming — will be central to implementation.
By aligning research, governance reforms, and local engagement, the initiative aims to establish Mathare as a model for sustainable waste management and equitable urban renewal by 2026. It demonstrates that when communities, governments, and partners work together, informal settlements can become engines of innovation, resilience, and meaningful change.