Kenya has passed The Sustainable Waste Management Bill 2021, which mandates citizens to segregate waste at home, with penalties for non-compliance. The bill, developed by the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, aims to improve waste disposal and management, and promote recycling to reduce landfill masses. Garbage collectors will be prohibited from collecting mixed waste. The bill is part of efforts to manage plastic pollution and will require Kenyans to pay for waste disposal by licensed collectors. The bill will be operational in six months, with the ministry tasked to educate the public on its provisions. The bill also requires county governments to prepare waste management plans and establish recycling facilities and landfills. Stakeholders like the Nakuru Scrap Metal dealers and CEJAD support the initiative, emphasizing the importance of segregation for recycling and the value of waste as a resource for a circular economy.

In Kenya, the Kenya Forest Service (KFS) is considering allowing Community Forest Associations (CFAs) to resume maize cultivation in forest plantations under the Plantation Establishment and Livelihood Improvement Scheme (PELIS), following a study on its impacts. The PELIS system allows CFAs to grow food crops while nurturing tree seedlings, but maize cultivation was banned in January 2021 due to concerns about tree growth suppression and accidental tree cutting during harvest. The ban has led to food shortages, as expressed by members of the Dundori Forest CFA. The KFS is assessing the benefits and drawbacks of maize cultivation in forests, with the possibility of reintroducing it under proper management. The Shamba System, as it is known locally, has been praised for increasing forest cover and providing livelihoods for farmers, who can earn significant income from crops grown on forest land. The government aims to achieve a 30% forest cover by 2032, with the Shamba System being a key strategy.