Absa Kenya Foundation and GIZ Launch Country’s First and Largest Circular Economy Programme
Absa Kenya Foundation, in partnership with GIZ and the African Guarantee Fund, has launched the CirculaRising Programme, positioned as Kenya’s first and largest circular economy initiative.
The programme aims to create over 6,000 new and improved jobs by 2028, while supporting more than 2,000 women- and youth-led micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs). It also targets the recycling of over 6,000 tonnes of waste and aims to indirectly impact more than 30,000 lives.
The CirculaRising Programme is designed to accelerate the adoption of circular economy practices, where resources are reused, recycled, and repurposed, while embedding gender-inclusive strategies into business growth.
Speaking at the launch, Abdi Mohamed emphasized the urgency of rethinking traditional economic models.
“For decades, global growth has followed a linear model – take, make, use, and discard. While this has delivered progress, it has also created waste and inequality,” he said. “The next chapter of growth will belong to economies that create value differently, where sustainability becomes enterprise.”
The CirculaRising Programme will be implemented through a structured approach that caters to businesses at different stages of development. It includes an academy component fully funded by Absa Kenya Foundation that will provide training, coaching, market access, and financing support to microenterprises over a 27-month period. A second component, led by GIZ, will focus on scaling growth-stage SMEs by strengthening their capacity, linking them to markets, and improving access to finance. The final phase targets medium and large enterprises, particularly those generating significant waste, supporting them to integrate circular practices and achieve global sustainability certifications as they expand into export markets.
A key pillar of the initiative is empowering women entrepreneurs, who play a significant role in Kenya’s MSME sector but continue to face funding barriers.
“Women own 40% of MSMEs and contribute up to 20% of GDP, yet 70% lack access to adequate financing,” said Patrick Lumumba. “Through partnerships like this, we aim to bridge that gap and strengthen inclusive growth.”
The programme leverages initiatives such as the Affirmative Finance Action for Women in Africa (AFAWA) to unlock financing and support women-led businesses within the circular economy.
The Kenyan government has welcomed the initiative, highlighting its alignment with national economic priorities.
Susan Mang’eni noted that MSMEs remain the backbone of the economy and are central to job creation and innovation.
“Programmes like CirculaRising are critical in enabling access to finance and supporting MSMEs to transition into sustainable and competitive enterprises,” she said, reaffirming the government’s commitment to creating an enabling environment for business growth.
Environmental leaders also emphasized the programme’s potential to drive climate action. Festus Ng’eno, through remarks delivered on his behalf, highlighted the role of MSMEs in reducing waste and advancing green development.
By 2028, CirculaRising aims to mobilise over €2 million in financing while delivering measurable environmental impact through waste reduction, reuse, repair, and recycling.
According to Thomas Jaeschke, the programme represents a strategic convergence of economic empowerment and sustainability.
“With CirculaRising, we are combining women’s economic empowerment with scalable circular business models to drive real impact, from job creation and better incomes to improved waste management practices,” he said.
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