The Kenya Kwanza government promised to promote youth-owned and operated briquette-making enterprises where agricultural waste is available in commercially viable quantities (coffee waste, rice husks, maize cobs, and coconut husks).

• As of late 2025 there is no specific program or fund dedicated solely to briquette-making enterprises.
• In 2025 the budget policy statement recomitted to prioritizing clean cooking and supporting youth-led briquette enterprises.

The Kenya Kwanza government made a commitment to providing housing mortgages to civil servants and police by growing the number of mortgages from 30,000 to 1,000,000 by enabling low-cost mortgages of Sh10,000 and below.

• While civil servants have been promised a specific quota of houses and enjoy access to existing schemes, the affordable housing program is hampered by systemic issues relating to funding, delivery and technology. This leaves many civil servants in the same position as the general public – waiting for a clear and effective pathway to home ownership.

On the 23rd of November 2022, the Kenya Kwanza government promised that the amount of processed tea leaving Kenya would move up from 5% to 50% in five years. Additionally, his ten-year plan was for Kenya to be processing all the tea produced here.

• On the 6th of January 2023, the Tea Amendment Bill 2023 was published which seeks to amend certain provisions in the Tea Bill 2020 in an effort to liberate the tea industry in Kenya.
•  The Kenya Kwanza government has affirmed that it has factored in key tax incentives in the 2025/2026 Finance Bill, including the removal of excise duty on tea packaging materials and the elimination of VAT on value-added tea exports.

The Kenya Kwanza government promised to strengthen the Konza Technopolis.

• On the 6th of January 2023, the Konza Technopolis Bill 2023 was tabled before the Senate. The objective of this Bill was to provide a framework for establishing a Technopolis in Kenya and to establish the Technopolis Development Authority that shall be responsible for the development, governance, planning, management, improvement and maintenance of every Technopolis established.
• This bill was negatived at the second reading stage hence halting the progress on this promise.

The Kenya Kwanza government promised to provide “circular economy” waste separation sites/infrastructure. This has brought about the enactment of the Sustainable Waste Management Act 2022 which seeks to redefine waste management practices.

• The Sustainable Waste Management (Extended Producer Responsibility) Regulations were gazetted on 4 November 2024 to operationalize the Act.
  
• The Nairobi County Government has also started discussions on transitioning from the traditional linear model of waste management to a more sustainable circular model.

The Kenya Kwanza government promised to complement Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) with a “bottom-up” community-based/owned value chain.

• This has propelled the enactment of the Sustainable Waste Management Act 2022 that places responsibility on every producer to bear mandatory extended producer obligations to reduce pollution and environmental impacts of the products they introduce into the Kenyan market and waste arising therefrom.

• The Sustainable Waste Management (Extended Producer Responsibility) Regulations were gazetted on 4 November 2024 to operationalize the Sustainable Waste Management Act. 

Provide “circular economy” waste separation sites/infrastructure.

• NEMA has issued a 21-day directive to all county governments to reorganize dumpsites and enforce waste separation at the source … under the Sustainable Waste Management Act (SWMA).
• At the county level, Makueni County has announced plans to build a Material Recovery Facility (MRF) costing KSh 180 million to support waste segregation and recycling.
• The COPIP pilot project in Mombasa (Likoni & Mvita sub-counties), with EIB backing, distributed separation bins to over 800 households and trained them in waste separation.
• Despite this, firstly, the Dandora dumpsite in Nairobi is repeatedly cited as an example of overflowing, mismanaged waste despite promises to decommission or rehabilitate it (e.g. in NEMA ultimatum articles)
• The COPIP pilot project in Mombasa noted that behavior change, awareness creation, and public participation are essential; lack of these is among key challenges.
• Some sources point out that many counties lack the budget, technical capacity, or will to fully enforce waste separation and segregation even under the legal regime. (Implied in reporting on NEMA’s ultimatum).

Complement Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) with a “bottom-up” community-based/owned value chain

• The enactment of the Sustainable Waste Management Act (SWMA) in 2022 and the subsequent Sustainable Waste Management (Extended Producer Responsibility) Regulations in late 2024 have established the legal and regulatory basis for EPR. This places mandatory waste management obligations on producers for the products they introduce to the market.
• The regulations mandate that producers either fulfill their EPR obligations individually or collectively by joining a PRO. Organizations like the Kenya Extended Producer Responsibility Organization (KEPRO) have been established and are actively engaging with producers and communities.
• The implementation of the EPR regulations faced temporary setbacks due to a High Court order in May 2025 that briefly halted the process.
• The decentralized and informal nature of community-based waste collection and aggregation poses a challenge to establishing a standardized, efficient, and profitable value chain.

Decriminalize the charcoal trade (studies estimate that bribes account for 20-30 percent of the final price)

• Instead of lifting all restrictions, the government has focused on legalizing and regulating sustainable charcoal production and trade to curb environmental damage while acknowledging its economic importance.
• Despite regulations, a robust illegal charcoal trade persists, facilitated by corruption and cartels involving state officials. A 2023 report confirmed that fines and seizures have proven ineffective as deterrents, with smugglers simply factoring bribes and penalties into their costs.
• Distinguishing legal from illegal charcoal remains a key difficulty for authorities, leading to inconsistent enforcement that still penalizes small-scale producers.
• The continued reliance on inefficient and low-cost traditional kilns makes alternative, sustainable options less economically viable for many producers. This is compounded by the fact that the price of illegal charcoal does not factor in the cost of environmental degradation, making it cheaper and more accessible.
• Despite a push for cleaner energy sources like LPG, charcoal remains a primary fuel for millions of Kenyans, especially low-income households. The continued high demand sustains the illicit trade, and the cost of alternatives can be prohibitively expensive.

Establish 5 million acres (20,000 km2) agroforestry woodlots in drylands

• The government, in partnership with international and local partners, launched the National Agroforestry Strategy 2025–2035 and the Kenya Landscape and Ecosystem Restoration Monitoring Framework (FLRMF) in September 2025. These provide the strategic direction and tools to track the promise’s implementation.
• The government has secured funding and launched projects like the World Bank-supported Kenya Water and Sanitation Improvement Project (KEWASIP), which includes components for agroforestry and sustainable land management in dryland areas.
• Despite international support, the initiative faces challenges in securing adequate and consistent financing. Budgetary constraints and a reliance on external funding can slow down the pace of implementation.
• Resolving land-use conflicts and guaranteeing secure land rights for communities, especially women and marginalized groups, is a key hurdle for long-term agroforestry investment and adoption.
• While community engagement is part of the strategy, implementing programs at scale requires overcoming barriers such as a lack of capital, seeds, extension services, and market access for agroforestry products.
• Scaling the initiative uniformly across the country’s diverse ASAL regions remains a challenge, with varying levels of success and implementation at the local level.