Catalysing Circular Impact: Reflections from the CEC Event on Innovation and Investment for Kenya’s Future

Date
Date

On 14th November 2025, stakeholders from across Kenya’s circular economy landscape convened in Nairobi for the Circular Economy Catalyst (CEC) Closing Event, themed “Catalysing Circular Impact: Innovation & Investment for Kenya’s Future.” The event marked a pivotal moment in the transition toward a more sustainable and regenerative economic future, one where enterprises redesign materials, systems, and business models to generate value without waste.

Anchored in Kenya’s national circular economy ambitions, the event brought together circular MSMEs, ecosystem enablers, policymakers, financial institutions, private sector leaders, and development partners. It served as both a culmination of multi-year programme efforts and a launchpad for advancing sector-wide collaboration, innovation, and investment.

A Strategic Forum for Innovation, Learning and Collaboration

The CEC programme -implemented by adelphi- has played a central role in empowering MSMEs through tailored business development support grounded in co-creation, design thinking and market validation. Building on momentum from the June networking workshop, this closing event deepened these conversations by strengthening the ecosystem linkages essential for scaling circular innovations.

In his opening remarks, Michael Kalo from Loopworks Ventures set the tone for the day by emphasising the urgent need to accelerate Kenya’s circular transition through cross-sector partnerships, investment readiness, and adaptive enterprise support models. His reflections framed the event as a timely opportunity to consolidate learning, showcase impact, and amplify the collective action required to drive long-term transformation.

Presenting Evidence: Insights from the CEC Final Impact Report

A key highlight of the event was the presentation of findings from the CEC Final Impact Assessment Report, delivered by Lina Gutiérrez from adelphi research. The report synthesised data collected from 2022 to 2025 across Kenya and India, illustrating how the CEC programme has catalysed measurable economic, social, and environmental value.

cec event
Impact at a Glance

  • 184 entrepreneurs supported through Replicator

  • 263 start-up teams supported through Starter

  • 22 enterprises accelerated through Catalyser and Accelerator

  • 47 business advisors trained

  • 96 circular enterprises generating revenue

  • 1,144 new jobs created

  • 1,595 tonnes of waste reduced

  • 811 m³ of water saved

  • 227 new products and services launched

  • Median external financing raised: USD 30,856

Beyond numbers, the report highlighted deeper outcomes: stronger entrepreneurial capacities, enhanced ecosystem services, expanded gender inclusion, improved impact management, and growing investor interest in circular ventures. It also underscored persistent challenges—especially access to tailored finance—reinforcing the need for continued collaboration with financial institutions and policymakers.

Engagement Pillars: Panels, Innovation Labs and Showcases

Throughout the day, participants engaged in a rich mix of panel discussions, innovation labs, exhibitions, and networking sessions structured to foster learning and action.

cec event
Panel Dialogue: The Power of Circular Enterprises

Moderated by Michael Kalo, this session explored the role of circular MSMEs in shaping Kenya’s sustainable future. Panellists including Fred Juma of Hydrovictoria and Benson Abila of M-Taka highlighted sector-specific challenges, market opportunities, and power of collaboration among the circular enterprises that is needed to enable scale.

Innovation Labs: Scaling the Impact of Circular SMEs

Breakout sessions focused on three critical levers for circular enterprise growth:

  • Access to finance

  • Strengthening impact management

  • Marketing and customer targeting strategies

These collaborative sprints enabled participants to co-design practical solutions, share experiences, and identify new models for enterprise support.

Afternoon Panel: Financing, Impact and Markets

Moderated by Wairimu Mwangi, the panelists including Tonnie Mello, Margaret Miano and Ramadhan Makuu delved into investment barriers, catalytic funding instruments, and the emerging role of blended finance in supporting circular innovations. Financial institutions and impact investors reflected on the need for bespoke financial products that align with circular business models.

cec exhibition
Exhibitions and Networking

The exhibition booths showcased circular innovations -from sustainable materials to resource-efficient technologies- demonstrating the creativity and commercial potential of Kenyan entrepreneurs. These interactive spaces facilitated new partnerships and collaboration opportunities across the ecosystem.

Expected Outcomes: A Platform for Long-Term Transformation

The event achieved its key objectives by:

1. Deepening cross-sector collaboration

Participants formed new learning networks, mentorship linkages and partnerships for continued cooperation.

2. Aligning stakeholders around policy, finance and innovation pathways

The event surfaced actionable recommendations for regulatory streamlining, enterprise support, and financial innovation.

3. Strengthening evidence and visibility for circular MSMEs

The Impact Report and case studies provided data-driven insights to inform future programming and investment decisions.

4. Inspiring actionable commitments

Ecosystem actors expressed willingness to contribute to capacity building, ecosystem strengthening and adoption of circular practices across value chains.

Looking Ahead

As the CEC programme concludes its current phase, the closing event affirmed that Kenya’s circular economy transition is gaining momentum. The collective achievements celebrated -enterprise growth, job creation, environmental savings, stronger advisory services and increased investment readiness- demonstrate the transformative potential of circular models.

Moving forward, sustaining this momentum will require continued collaboration, investment, policy support and enterprise-driven innovation. Our organisation remains committed to nurturing this ecosystem, amplifying the voice of circular MSMEs and playing an active role in shaping Kenya’s circular future.