By Cece Siago
As Kenya prepares to host the first-ever Our Ocean Conference in Africa, grassroots organizations and coastal communities are demonstrating how local action can help tackle one of the world’s most pressing environmental challenges: plastic pollution.
At the historic Kongo Mosque along Diani Beach, scores of schoolchildren sit under tents listening to presentations on turtle conservation, environmental protection, and climate change while overlooking the white sands and turquoise waters of the Indian Ocean.
The educational sessions begin after an hour-long “plastic hunt,” during which participants walk along sections of the expansive Diani Beach in Kwale County, collecting plastic waste and other litter.
Nearby, sacks of waste collected from more than five kilometres of beach and surrounding areas are piled under a shade, awaiting weighing and transportation to a recycling centre.
The activities are part of the Diani Beach Zero Plastic Pollution Festival, an annual event that promotes marine conservation, responsible tourism, and public awareness of environmental pollution.
Now in its third edition, the community-led festival attracts more than 3,000 participants and has become a key platform for grassroots environmental action.
“We have always wanted to educate the community about the importance of keeping the beaches clean, especially Diani, which is also the economic backbone for many livelihoods in this area,” said Mohammed Mwachausa, Executive Director of Samba Sports Youth Trust, the main organizer of the event.
According to Mwachausa, the festival’s consistency has contributed to a visible decline in litter along the coastline.
“In 2024, we collected seven tonnes of litter. Last year, with 3,000 people participating, we walked six kilometres and collected 4.5 tonnes. This demonstrates that sustained community action is reducing the amount of litter reaching the beach,” he said.
“This year, despite having even more participants and covering nearly 10 kilometres, we have collected only three tonnes of plastic. This shows that our efforts are making a difference,” he added during celebrations to mark World Oceans Day on June 8.
Mohammed Mwachausa , Samba Sports Youth Trust executive director addressing participants in Diani.
In addition to beach clean-ups and workshops, participants—most of them students from local schools—take part in entertainment activities designed to promote environmental awareness.
The Health and Environment Research Institute Kenya (HERI Kenya), a key partner in the festival, says plastic pollution remains one of the greatest threats facing marine ecosystems.
HERI Kenya Director Juma Nassoro said such forums help educate communities and encourage the adoption of practices that reduce plastic waste and its harmful effects on both people and marine life.
“Our main focus is to create awareness about plastic pollution. Research has shown that if we do not act, there could one day be more plastic in the ocean than fish. This is a real threat to marine ecosystems,” he said.
The United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 14, which focuses on Life Below Water, calls for urgent action to prevent and significantly reduce marine pollution of all kinds.
According to the United Nations Environment Programme’s (UNEP) global assessment report, From Pollution to Solution, plastics are the largest, most harmful, and most persistent form of marine litter, accounting for at least 85 percent of total marine waste.
Participants display placards during a beach “plastic hunt” in Diani.
While world leaders, scientists, and environmental advocates are expected to gather in Mombasa next week for the 11th Our Ocean Conference, residents along Diani Beach have already spent the past three years addressing one of the key issues likely to dominate discussions there.
Marine scientist Dr. Eric Okuku, Director of the Mombasa Station at the Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute (KMFRI), emphasized that research alone cannot solve the problem without effective implementation.
He said communities and young people must remain at the centre of efforts to combat marine pollution, which is why KMFRI has partnered with locally driven initiatives such as the festival.
“We know that every year, about 37,000 tonnes of plastic enter the ocean. When you walk along our beaches, every square metre contains up to five plastic items. Science alone will not solve this problem. That is why we partner with communities and support initiatives like this festival,” he said.
Okuku noted that while research informs policy, implementation remains the biggest challenge.
Kenya has already launched the Action Plan for Preventing Plastic Pollution from Land-Based Sources and the Action Plan for Preventing Plastic Pollution from Sea-Based Sources. However, he said public awareness remains critical to the success of such policies.
“Community-based organizations and civil society groups are best placed to create awareness, which is why partnerships with them are so important,” he explained.
KMFRI Senior Researcher Dr Eric Okuku speaking during an interview on World Ocean Day – PHOTO Cece Siago
He added that community engagement helps drive long-term solutions by addressing plastic waste at its source before it reaches the ocean.
Beyond beach clean-ups, the plastic collected during the three-day festival is sorted, weighed, and recycled.
Dexter Agesa, an official at the Kwale Recycling Centre, said the organization specializes in upcycling plastic waste into building materials and serves as the primary recipient of waste collected during the festival.
“We focus on the actual recycling of plastics. We engage communities and teach them different upcycling techniques. We want people to generate income from waste collection so that it becomes more than just a cleanup exercise,” said Agesa.
He said various community groups have been trained on how to turn waste management into a source of income, creating dignified employment opportunities while protecting the environment.
Agesa also facilitates community exchange learning programmes to encourage greater participation in waste management enterprises.
Among the beneficiaries is Wahapahapa Director Nsema Hoka, whose organization conducts street clean-ups and has begun transforming discarded materials such as plastic sacks and bottles into bags, clothing, and flower holders.
“Plastic takes a very long time to decompose. Instead of throwing away sacks, we turn them into bags. We also use discarded clothes to make mops and bottle caps to create handbags,” she said.
By the end of the festival, the collected waste will be sorted, weighed, and sent for recycling. However, organizers say the event’s greatest achievement cannot be measured in tonnes of litter removed.
For them, success lies in changing attitudes and ensuring that every child, resident, and visitor who joins the cleanup understands that protecting the ocean begins long before plastic reaches the shoreline.
