Regional focus: Eastern Africa / the Climate Action Network
Time: December 2023-January 2025
Abstract: We explore the democratic and participatory spaces through which grassroots waste pickers in Mombasa engage with county government actors in managing plastic pollution. Drawing on environmental democracy and grassroots innovation frameworks, we interrogate the nature, creation, and effectiveness of participatory spaces—classified as invited, created and co-created. Using action-oriented qualitative methods—including Democracy Labs, participatory videos, focus group discussions, and policy reviews—we find that while invited spaces often fulfil legal obligations without transferring power, created spaces emerge as platforms of grassroots resistance and innovation. The most transformative are co-created spaces, which facilitate collaborative agenda-setting and mutual accountability. However, their success depends on social capital, institutional trust, and sustained investment in iterative learning processes. We argue that a just transition toward plastic-free futures must structurally embed waste pickers as co-designers of governance solutions, not merely as beneficiaries. We conclude that long-term participatory mechanisms, underpinned by adequate resourcing and political commitment, are essential for equitable and effective plastic waste governance.
Research questions:
- How does Mombasa City County Government identify and respond to the needs and aspirations of civil society and grassroots organizations affected by and working to reduce plastic waste pollution in coastal areas of Mombasa?
- What are the current policies and plans that are implemented by Mombasa City County Government to achieve a sustainable and inclusive plastic waste management, to reduce the vulnerability of coastal communities in the context of climate change?
- How do policies, plans and actions by Mombasa County Government engage with local aspirations and needs?
- Through what mechanisms does the civil society and grassroots organizations hold Mombasa County Government accountable for its action or in action on ensuring sustainable and just plastic waste governance? How effective are those mechanisms for accountability?
- How can citizen engagement processes, actions, policies and plans be improved to lead towards a green and just plastic free transition?
Main researchers:
- Dr. Richard Dimba Kiaka, CEJAD, Research Associate
- Prof. Maria-Jose Zapata, University of Gothenburg, Professor
- Prof. Patrik Zapata, University of Gothenburg, Professor
This research project aims to directly support ICLD’s Network for Climate Action, and specifically the municipal partnership between Mombasa County and Region Västernorrland.
Other ICLD research by the authors: