Two Kenyan innovators compete for world prize in climate finals

Two Kenyan community-led environmental initiatives have been named finalists for the 2026 Water Air Food Awards (WAFA).

The Flipflopi Project and Komb Green Solutions were selected from a competitive international field for their community-led work in tackling plastic pollution and urban degradation.

The Flipflopi Project, based in the Lamu Archipelago, is a finalist in the Air category, while Komb Green Solutions, founded in Korogocho, Nairobi, is a finalist in the Youth Climate Action category.

The Flipflopi Project established Lamu county’s first plastic recovery and recycling facility, serving 70 per cent of the archipelago and 28 per cent of the county’s population.

The initiative has recovered 350,000 kilogrammes of plastic to date, converting waste into recycled plastic planks, preventing plastics from entering ecosystems or being burned.

“To raise awareness, the team built the world's first traditional sailing dhow made entirely from recycled plastic, which travels regional waters to educate communities and advocate for single-use plastic bans across East Africa,” WAFA said in a statement.

The project has directly supported more than 1,000 individuals from low-income communities, injected over $40,000 (Sh5.16 million) into the local economy and trained 106 students through an accredited vocational programme in partnership with Lamu Polytechnic.

Between June 2022 and December 2024, the project avoided 318 tonnes of CO2 equivalent emissions.

Komb Green Solutions has cleared more than 120 tonnes of waste from the Nairobi Riverbanks, planted 20,000 trees to restore riparian zones and combat flooding and directly benefited 3,221 individuals.

Founded in 2018 by Christopher Waithaka, the group has reclaimed the land to create safe community parks.

Their integrated model uses vermicompost and black soldier fly larvae to convert organic waste into fertile soil and animal protein, supporting local food production.

“Komb Green Solutions shows that informal urban settlements need more than just clean-ups. They require green jobs, circular systems and community ownership,” WAFA said in a statement.

“The model is designed to scale from Korogocho to other cities facing the same intersection of urban poverty and environmental degradation.”

The initiative has trained youth and women in conservation, carpentry and sustainable farming, established a community water kiosk and created circular food systems that produce organic soil, livestock protein and nutritious food for families.

WAFA, a global platform that honours grassroots solutions to pressing ecological challenges, has recognised 18 ‘Silent Heroes’ since 2008, reaching 84 million people across 82 countries.

“These are real people creating extraordinary impact from the ground up. They are often unseen, often unheard and the world needs to recognise these silent heroes and the nature-based initiatives they are leading,” Tina Lindgreen, WAFA’s chief executive and executive chairperson said.

Public voting is open until April 30, with the winners to be announced at the Generation Green forum in Cairo, Egypt, in the summer of 2026.