Repair & Reuse CoLab
Imagining a better future for the repair and reuse economy in Kenya
Unlocking the potential of Kenya’s repair and reuse economy, through collective participatory methods, data, policy and investment pathways.
The challenge
Kenya’s repair and reuse sector is significant yet undervalued, contributing £1.12 billion GBP (1.5% of Kenya’s GDP). Despite its economic and environmental value, the sector remains underfunded, lacks policy support, and is largely excluded from investment frameworks.
This invisibility restricts access to financing and business growth opportunities, particularly for repairers in the Jua Kali sector, which makes up 83% of Kenya’s workforce. Additionally, fragmented networks and trust barriers between consumers and informal repairers hinder sector growth and investment potential.
Without formal recognition and systemic support, Kenya risks missing a key driver of circular economy innovation, job creation, and environmental sustainability.
What was achieved
- By making the invisible economy visible, Brink helped repair entrepreneurs access financing, shift consumer mindsets, and create policy momentum for a circular, job-creating economy.
- £1.12 billion GDP contribution quantified, positioning the sector for policy and investment support.
- Policy and wider ecosystem influence: Findings featured by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and presented to the ICLEI Africa City Authorities Network, embedding insights into global conversations on circular economies.
- Investment readiness: Developed a roadmap to increase investment in repair ecosystems, enabling growth opportunities for local businesses.
- Sector Recognition: Positioned Kenya as a leader in circular economy discussions, with insights influencing global repair and reuse strategies.
I foresee more and more businesses setting up and more awareness being realised. I hope more companies and NGOs will come through in terms of funding as this will go along way in ensuring sustainability of businesses such as ours.
How we did it
We took a systems approach, bringing together repair and reuse communities in Kenya (whose voices are not often heard and who normally don’t engage with each other), leaders from across the ecosystem, local and global experts, innovators, researchers and our local partners to co-create a radically better future for the repair and reuse economy in Kenya. We combined rigorous research with innovative participatory and data collection methods to achieve collective understandings, actionable insights and collaboration, and surface invisible business models. We:
- Mapped the sector’s economic impact, and quantified the £1.12 billion GDP contribution, positioning the sector for investment.
- Ecosystem engagement: connected 400+ stakeholders, including repairers, policymakers, and investors, through co-design workshops and data-driven advocacy.
- Amplified local voices, showcasing the role of repairers and entrepreneurs through strategic storytelling and data-driven advocacy surfacing actionable intelligence.
- Read the full report. Landscaping the Repair and Reuse Economy in Kenya.
Explore the stories of some of the people working in that economy.
