E-waste and the Just Transition: Workers’ Health and Wellbeing in Eastern Africa’s Circular Economy

In Kenya, where the informal e-waste recycling sector is growing, infrastructural constraints, limited enforcement, and regulatory frameworks that often sideline informal actors leave many workers exposed to hazards, with limited access to protective equipment, occupational health services, or social safeguards. While research to date has focused on material recovery and economic benefits, less is known about the risks and structural barriers workers face.

This project, jointly led by SEI HQ and SEI Africa, seeks to advance a just transition framework within the e-waste sector in East Africa, focusing on case studies in Nairobi and Mombasa, Kenya. The project’s activities will identify recommended changes to promote safer, more inclusive working conditions in the e-waste value chain.

Objectives 

This research analyses the role of key policies and stakeholders while systematically assessing the occupational safety and socio-economic conditions of workers engaged in e-waste management, material recovery, and reuse. 

The ultimate objective is to foster an environmentally sustainable and socially inclusive e-waste sector, ensuring that the transition to circularity does not perpetuate existing inequalities, but rather promotes equitable and dignified working conditions for all stakeholders.

Activities 

1. Mapping and reviewing literature and key policy documents on e-waste and occupational safety in East Africa and Kenya.
2. Data collection and analysis on occupational safety and health in selected cases in Nairobi and Mombasa.
3. Stakeholder engagement and dissemination, to strengthen existing partnerships and connect research findings to relevant policy spheres.