Eng. Allen Kimambo

Eng. Allen M. Kimambo is one of East Africa's most recognised leaders at the intersection of waste management, circular economy, climate technology, and inclusive finance — a builder of systems, platforms, and institutions that transform how African cities handle waste, turning an overlooked crisis into an engine for livelihoods and resilience.
He founded Zaidi Recyclers Ltd in Dar es Salaam in 2014, growing it from a waste-paper collection operation into a multi-stream circular economy enterprise with over €2.4 million in revenue since 2018 — spanning waste recovery (papers, plastics, glass, coconut shells, car batteries, e-waste), digital payments, consultation, and data services. A sister entity, Zaidi Ecotech Limited, operates in Zanzibar.
Allen has delivered circular economy, zero-waste, and digital programmes across Tanzania, Kenya, Ghana, Rwanda, Uganda, Zanzibar, and Zambia — partnering with GIZ, UNDP, Tetra Tech, Adam Smith International, Bigen Global, and the Botnar Foundation. He led the launch of Rwanda's first digital e-waste platform (GGGI/Enviroserve), and implemented eight women-operated Taka Benki (waste banks) in Tanga, Tanzania. His consulting portfolio includes waste characterisation studies in Mombasa and Sekondi-Takoradi, a national digital waste-pickers registry across 11 Tanzanian regions, and ICT integration work with Dar's urban resilience programme.