The Right to Repair is Key to Tackling Kenya’s Growing e-Waste Challenge

According to data from Kenya’s National Environment Management Authority (NEMA), the country generates an estimated 51,300 metric tons of electronic waste annually. However, just 5 percent of this total is formally recycled. The remaining 95 percent vanishes into the informal economy or informal landfills. It is routinely subjected to unsafe disposal practices, such as open-air burning to extract copper, releasing highly toxic heavy metals like lead, mercury and cadmium into local water tables and agricultural soil. The resulting environmental degradation and associated public health risks have become a pressing concern for policymakers and environmental economists alike.

The root of the crisis, critics argue, lies in both consumer behaviour and in the structural design of the modern electronics industry. A growing body of academic literature suggests that the linear “take-make-waste” economic model is unsustainable. Quite often, the vast majority of items that end up as e-waste could be salvaged long before they reach the point of irreversible discarding.

The missing link is affordable, accessible repair and maintenance services provided directly by the original equipment manufacturers (OEMs).

Research into the “right to repair” movement, most notably from institutions such as the University of California, Berkeley, asserts that consumer waste, particularly e-waste, could be mitigated by ensuring that end-users have immediate access to diagnostic tools, genuine spare parts and qualified technicians. This is in addition to early and transparent communication by manufacturers about the availability and location of such services before consumers default to replacing their appliances.

Against this background, LG Electronics has positioned itself at the forefront of advancing the right-to-repair agenda by investing in an extensive aftersales infrastructure that ensures Kenyan consumers have access to reliable repair and maintenance services across the country. This approach aligns the company’s commercial objectives with its commitment to delivering durable, high-quality products while helping reduce the premature disposal of electronic devices.

However, access to repair services is only meaningful when consumers can easily reach them and afford them. To address this, LG recently concluded its LG Mtaani Care Football Season Campaign, an aftersales initiative designed to bring repair services closer to consumers while reducing the financial barriers that often lead to the unnecessary replacement of electronic appliances.

During the campaign, consumers benefited from free diagnostics, waived service fees, discounts on selected genuine spare parts, and special discounts on TV remote controls. These incentives encouraged consumers to repair and maintain their products rather than replace them, extending product lifespans while reducing the amount of electronic waste generated.

While the campaign primarily enhanced customer convenience, it also demonstrated how accessible and affordable aftersales support can contribute to a circular economy. Every appliance restored to working condition represented one less product destined for disposal and reinforced the principle that repairing existing products is often the most sustainable option.

For institutional investors tracking Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) performance, such initiatives provide a compelling example of how multinational corporations can reduce downstream environmental impacts while creating shared value in developing markets.

“As a responsible corporate citizen, we strive to ensure that the products we sell continue serving our customers for as long as possible,” said Donghun Lee, President of LG Electronics East Africa. “Providing access to quality repair services, genuine spare parts and skilled technicians is central to that commitment. It not only delivers greater value to consumers but also contributes to reducing electronic waste by extending the useful life of our products.”

As African nations grapple with the dual challenges of rapid digital adoption and environmental preservation, manufacturers will increasingly be expected to take responsibility for the full lifecycle of their products. The LG Mtaani Care Football Season Campaign demonstrated that investing in accessible aftersales support is not only good customer service but also an important contribution to environmental sustainability. By embracing the principles of the right to repair, manufacturers can help build a more circular economy where products remain in use longer, consumers derive greater value from their purchases, and fewer electronic devices end up in landfills.

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