Development of Effective Policies and Regulations to Ensure Sustainable Off-grid Solar E-waste Management Systems in Kenya

Off-grid solar systems provide clean and affordable energy sources. The adoption of off-grid solar energy is becoming increasingly popular in Kenya as a source of renewable energy, with an estimated 10 million people using off-grid solar power systems as of the end of year 2022. However, the rising off-grid solar systems technology uptake comes with a growing amount of solar e-waste, which can have harmful environmental and health effects if not managed properly. The main sources of e-waste from off-grid solar systems are batteries, solar panels, and appliances such as lamps. Current data on the exact amount of solar e-waste being generated in Kenya is unavailable and this amount will continue to rise with the expiry of many of these off-grid solar systems lifespans. The study used a qualitative research approach and adopted a triangulation research design method to assess. This study through stakeholder’s workshop and document review data collection and analysis approaches, established that Kenya just like many countries in the Global South has a robust general waste policy and regulation management framework. However, it lacks specific policies and regulations on off-grid-solar electronic waste management, a challenge that many countries in the Global North have made considerate steps to address. The absence of a definitive law on e-solar waste management is partly because solar PV power is a relatively new concept in the country. In addition, there is a lack of awareness of the hazardous nature of off-grid solar systems’ e-waste components to both consumers and institutions of governance. There is a lack of adequate infrastructure and sufficient systems for off-grid solar e-waste management in the country. Enforcement and implementation challenges of the existing general waste regulations due to limited resources and capacity and corruption culture are major impending factors. This calls for the development of effective policies and regulations to ensure sustainable off-grid solar e-waste management in Kenya against the backdrop of the rising uptake of off-grid solar systems. Research and data management of solar e-waste are crucial for better response to emerging waste management challenges so further research is required to evaluate the impact of solar e-waste on the environment to support informed decision-making.