180 ANNE M. KARANJA, MOSES M. IKIARA, THEO C. DAVIES
Because there was no recognition in policy of the socio-economic and environmental
relevance of these activities, there was no legal recourse for the small local waste
collectors and dealers By the time of the CGI’s ‘factory closure’, most dealers had
spent an average of Ksh. 20,000 (US$ 263), a substantial amount given the prevailing
business uncertainty and the constant fall of prices of other materials. The company
now concentrates on recycling its own (KBL’s) bottles, obtained from the numerous
brewing subsidiaries as well as distributorships in the East African region. This has
affected the economic viability of bottle and vunjika recovery locally^14.
With the energy crisis in 2000, which necessitated a power-rationing program, the
company decreased both permanent and casual staff by 25 percent^15. The raw mate-
rials acquisition budget increased by 20 percent, strengthening the need to seek alter-
native and cheaper sources. According to one of the managers, at the height of the
power crisis the factory was operating at about 80 percent of normal production
capacity and expected a further decline unless the economic situation in the country
improved.
Large-scale metal recycling: the case of Roll Mill
There are about 8 metal rolling mills in Nairobi, of which three were studied^16. During
the fieldwork (1997/98), most were closed due to ‘poor business’. One of these, Roll
Mill, was started in 1986, and is a large-scale metal recycling company. The factory
consumes about 30 tons of scrap metal per day, the bulk of which is obtained from local
dealers and brokers like KIOI and ROMA, at about Ksh. 4 per kg. These materials are in
turn obtained from waste pickers at the cost of Ksh. 2 per kg. Other important inputs like
chemicals, virgin steel bars and hard coal are imported from outside the country (mainly
from India). The company’s main products are twisted metals and ground bars. These
are consumed locally but also exported to neighbouring Tanzania and Uganda.
Employment and working conditions in Roll Mill
Roll Mill provides protective gear like helmets, boots, overalls and gloves to its
factory workers, a majority (90 percent) of whom are casual workers, earning about
Ksh. 140 (US$ 2) p/day. The company has no staff medical insurance cover except for
serious industrial accidents. Other occupational health hazards emanating from
routine exposure to chemicals and other harmful solvents are not covered. Some of the
workers at Roll Mills said that attempts at legal action against illegal dismissal and
- It was however alleged during the stakeholders workshop that CGI did not stop recycling of vunjika
completely but continued, albeit at a lower scale, with raw material inputs largely coming from out-
side the country. - was no information available on working conditions in the factory.
- They were Steel Structures Ltd., Premier Rollers, City Engineering, Kikuyu Steel millers, Insteel and
the three that we studied EMCO, Morris and Co. ltd. and Roll Mill.