Abstract
The purpose of this study was to assess the E-waste management awareness levels of Safaricom’s E-waste Collection
Program in Harambee sub-Location, Nairobi County, Kenya. There has been an exponential growth in E-waste
largely attributed to the widespread use of electronic appliances. There has also been a fall in the prices of electronic goods,
rendering these goods accessible. However, health and environment authorities world over have raised a red flag over
the dangerous dumping of E-waste. Advancement in technology can therefore be looked upon as a curse or a blessing
since developed nations have in the past been found seeking to illegally sell their industrial waste to unsuspecting Third
World countries. Safaricom Limited has been selected in this study as a case study since the company has tried to lead
the way in E-waste management. The overall objective of this research was to assess the awareness levels of Safaricom
E-waste Collection Pprogram in Harambee sub-Location, Nairobi County, Kenya. The theory that was found relevant
to form a framework for the study is the Rational Choice Theory. This study adopted a descriptive survey method. Mixed
methods; qualitative and quantitative, were employed in data collection. The study was carried out among residents
of Harambee sub-Location, Harambee Ward which is in Makadara Constituency, in Nairobi County. The estimated
population for the sub-Location according to the last demographic national census in 2013 was 22,100 people. It is from
this general population that the target population was drawn. This research employed cluster sampling, simple random
sampling and purposive sampling. The study employed triangulation in data collection. A questionnaire and interview
guides were administered to the respondents. Later, quantitative data was analyzed using Statistical Package for Social
Science (SPSS) computer software version 22. The data was presented in form of tables, pie charts, and bar graphs. The
study found that the majority of the respondents were aware of health hazards of E-waste. On the other hand, the
respondents were not aware of the environmental health hazards caused by E-waste or the existing National and County
Government guidelines on E-waste. Further, Safaricom’s E-waste Collection Program was unknown to the majority
of respondents. The study concluded that there was a need for Safaricom to aggressively sensitize the community on its
E-waste Collection Program, proper E-waste disposal methods, as well as the environmental hazards of E-waste. The
National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) on the other hand needs to engage the community more with
E-waste campaigns on policies and regulations. The study recommended awareness on Safaricom’s E-waste Collection
Program. Further, the study recommended that NEMA puts in place solid policies on E-waste, and creates awareness
on the same with the public.
Key words | E-waste, environmental hazards, collection program, awareness, disposal methods