Waste management licensing in Kenya covers a family of related NEMA authorisations: transporting waste, operating treatment or recovery facilities, running disposal sites, and exporting or transiting waste across borders. Each carries its own fee structure.
Fee Summary Table
| Activity | Application Fee | Annual Licence / Permit Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Waste transportation (per vehicle) | Ksh. 5,000 | Ksh. 10,000 |
| Waste treatment / re-use plant / storage yard / transfer station / material recovery facility | Ksh. 5,000 | Ksh. 80,000 |
| Waste disposal site | Ksh. 5,000 | Ksh. 100,000 |
| Waste export / transit permit | Ksh. 5,000 | Ksh. 50,000 (permit fee) |
Source: NEMA’s Customer Service Delivery Charter, 2025–2027.
Processing Timelines
All four categories above are processed within 10 working days of a complete application submitted through the NEMA licensing portal.
Choosing the Right Category
Because “waste management licence” covers several distinct activities, the first step is identifying exactly which licence your operation needs — a transporter moving waste between sites pays per vehicle, while a facility operator pays a flat annual fee regardless of fleet size. Mixing these up at application stage is a common cause of delay.
Waste management fees scale with the environmental risk and scope of the activity — transportation is the cheapest tier, disposal sites the most expensive. Whichever category applies to you, the application fee is a flat Ksh. 5,000 across the board, so the real cost difference shows up in the annual licence fee.
