Nairobi, Kenya, 31 July 2026 – The Kenya Community Development Foundation (KCDF) has awarded KES 31.5 million to seven youth-led enterprises and community organisations developing groundbreaking solutions to some of Kenya’s most pressing environmental challenges.
The funding marks the culmination of the third edition of the Young Environmentalist Innovation Challenge (YEIC), a flagship initiative established by KCDF in 2023 to identify, nurture, and scale innovative environmental solutions led by young people across Kenya.
The seven winning innovations emerged from a highly competitive pool of more than 700 applications submitted from across the country. The finalists were selected following a rigorous evaluation process that assessed innovation, impact potential, sustainability, and scalability.
Over the past three years, YEIC has become one of Kenya’s leading platforms for youth-driven environmental innovation, supporting 24 transformative projects focused on environmental conservation, climate resilience, sustainable resource management, and circular economy solutions.
“The solutions we need, for waste, for clean energy, for the trees we have lost, for the soils our farmers depend on, will only come from people willing to sit at the same table, share resources, share risk, and share credit. Today we pause to celebrate, to honour Kenya’s young innovators whose ingenuity and grit have turned bold ideas into real enterprises tackling waste, energy, agriculture, and conservation across this country.” Said Grace Maingi, KCDF Executive Director, during the event.
This year’s winners are demonstrating how local innovation can deliver practical and scalable solutions to environmental challenges while creating economic opportunities and livelihoods.
The seven finalists are:
- Twende Green Ecocycle (Mombasa County) – transforming marine plastic waste into durable and affordable school furniture.
- Fibertext Green Paper Ltd (Bungoma County) – converting discarded banana stems and fibres into biodegradable paper packaging.
- Queening Afrika (Nairobi County) – transforming discarded synthetic hair into handbags, home décor products, and other eco-friendly items.
- Bio Regen (Murang’a County) – producing organic ACT probiotic fertiliser to promote sustainable agriculture.
- Ecobora (Kajiado County) – developing solar cooking technologies to reduce dependence on conventional fuels.
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- Ecobuild (Siaya County) – converting hazardous mining waste into eco-bricks for affordable housing.
- Majik Water Technologies (Murang’a County) – harnessing atmospheric moisture to produce clean and safe drinking water.
Collectively, the innovations address critical environmental concerns, including waste management, sustainable agriculture, water scarcity, access to clean energy, affordable housing, and the transition to a circular economy.
During the event, KCDF and the I&M Foundation officially launched the next phase of the initiative under a new identity, the Young Innovators Challenge (YIC). The rebranding reflects an expanded vision that goes beyond environmental conservation to support youth-led innovations addressing a broader range of social, economic, and development challenges facing Kenya.
YIC aims to strengthen Kenya’s innovation ecosystem by connecting emerging innovators with funding, mentorship, networks, and opportunities to scale their ideas into sustainable ventures capable of delivering measurable community impact.
Speaking during the event, Kihara Maina, Interim CEO, I&M Bank, said, “At I&M Bank and through the Foundation, we believe a financial institution’s responsibility extends beyond financing transactions. We must help build the conditions in which people, businesses and communities can thrive over the long term. By pairing financial grants with capacity strengthening and connections to expertise and markets, we want to help promising solutions become stronger, more measurable and more sustainable.”
Gordon Odundo, KCDF Board Vice Chair, on his part said, “When a financial institution and a community foundation combine resources, technical expertise, and shared values, the results multiply. Through a matching grant arrangement for the Young Innovators Challenge, the I&M Foundation is matching KCDF’s contribution, significantly expanding the pool of resources available to young innovators.
