Environmental Science

Diploma in It and Waste Management

This Level 6 competency-based programme prepares students to manage solid and hazardous waste, recycling, and sanitation while applying digital and IT tools to track, plan, and report on environmental services. It trains waste-management officers and technicians who help counties, towns, and private firms keep environments clean and compliant.

Students learn to collect, sort, transport, and treat solid waste, run recycling and recovery, handle hazardous and electronic waste safely, apply environmental and public-health regulations, support sanitation services, and use IT, spreadsheets, databases, and GIS to record and analyse waste data. They also develop skills in communication, numeracy, digital literacy, and occupational safety central to modern waste management.

These skills matter because Kenya's growing towns generate large volumes of solid, plastic, and electronic waste that threaten health, drainage, and the environment if mismanaged. Graduates help counties and firms reduce dumping, improve collection and recycling, recover value from waste, meet NEMA standards, and keep public spaces and waterways clean. Their work protects public health and supports the circular economy.

The programme blends classroom teaching, IT and software labs, waste-handling practicals, field visits to landfills and recycling plants, and a supervised industrial attachment with a county environment department, waste firm, or recycler. Assessment is competency-based, with learners judged on demonstrating real waste-management and IT skills.

Graduates pursue careers as waste-management officers, recycling and sanitation officers, environmental compliance assistants, and waste-data officers in county governments, private waste firms, recyclers, and large institutions.

The programme is ideal for practical, environmentally conscious students who want to use both hands-on and digital skills to keep communities clean and sustainable.

Duration: 3 years
Public, up to: Ksh 67,189
Job market: Moderate

The programme

What you study, how long it takes, and how it is delivered.

Practicalities

Study mode: Full-time
Attachment: 3 months
Average class: 40 students
Award: Diploma

What you study

8 subjects

Solid Waste Collection, Transport and Disposal
Recycling, Recovery and the Circular Economy
Hazardous and E-Waste Management
Environmental and Public-Health Regulations
Sanitation and Public Health
IT Fundamentals and Data Management
GIS and Digital Tools for Waste Management
Occupational Health and Safety

Modules

12 in the programme

Introduction to Waste Management
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Types and sources of waste, the waste hierarchy, integrated waste management for professional practice and competency development in the field.
Solid Waste Collection and Transport
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Waste-generation assessment, collection systems and routes, transfer stations for professional practice and competency development in the field.
Waste Treatment, Recycling and Recovery
Year 1Semester 33 creditsCore
Sorting, composting, anaerobic digestion, material recovery, recycling processes.
Hazardous and Electronic Waste Management
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Identifying, handling, storing, and disposing of hazardous, medical for professional practice and competency development in the field.
Environmental and Public-Health Regulations
Year 2Semester 23 creditsCore
NEMA regulations, environmental law, waste-licensing, public-health requirements.
Sanitation and Public Health
Year 2Semester 33 creditsCore
Sanitation systems, drainage, public-health risks of poor waste handling for professional practice and competency development in the field.
IT Fundamentals and Data Management
Year 3Semester 13 creditsCore
Computer basics, spreadsheets, databases, data entry and analysis for professional practice and competency development in the field.
GIS and Digital Tools for Waste Management
Year 3Semester 23 creditsCore
Using GIS, GPS, and digital tools to map waste sources, plan routes for professional practice and competency development in the field.
Waste-Management Information Systems
Year 3Semester 33 creditsCore
Operating and maintaining waste-management software, weighing and billing systems.
Waste Enterprise and Cost Recovery
Year 4Semester 13 creditsCore
Costing waste services, user charges, recycling markets, running a small for professional practice and competency development in the field.
Occupational Health, Safety and Communication
Year 4Semester 23 creditsCore
Safety in waste handling, PPE, infection control, communication for professional practice and competency development in the field.
Industrial Attachment / Workplace Practicum
Year 4Semester 36 creditsCore
Supervised placement with a county environment department, waste firm for professional practice and competency development in the field.

Specialisations

Recycling and the Circular Economy
Running material recovery and recycling operations and linking collectors to circular-economy markets, with emphasis on practical application in Kenyan industry contexts and compliance with relevant national standards and regulatory requirements.
Solid Waste and Sanitation Services
Planning and supervising waste collection, transport, disposal, and sanitation for counties and firms, with emphasis on practical application in Kenyan industry contexts and compliance with relevant national standards and regulatory requirements.
Hazardous and E-Waste Management
Safe handling, storage, and disposal of hazardous, medical, and electronic waste, with emphasis on practical application in Kenyan industry contexts and compliance with relevant national standards and regulatory requirements.
Waste-Data and Digital Systems
Using IT, spreadsheets, databases, and GIS to record, analyse, and report waste and environmental data, with emphasis on practical application in Kenyan industry contexts and compliance with relevant national standards and regulatory requirements.
Environmental Compliance and Reporting
Supporting NEMA compliance, licensing, record-keeping, and environmental reporting, with emphasis on practical application in Kenyan industry contexts and compliance with relevant national standards.

A day as a student

A typical day blends fieldwork, science, and digital skills. Mornings cover theory on waste collection, recycling, hazardous waste, regulations, and IT. Afternoons shift to practical sessions, where students sort and weigh waste samples, demonstrate recycling steps, handle and label hazardous materials safely, and use spreadsheets, databases, and simple GIS to record and map waste data. Students also visit landfills, recycling plants, and county depots. During industrial attachment, they work with a county environment department, waste firm, or recycler, supporting real collection, recycling, and reporting tasks.

The trade offs

In its favour

Growing demand as Kenyan towns, counties, and firms tackle solid, plastic, and e-waste and pursue recycling.
Strong self-employment and circular-economy opportunities through recycling, composting, and waste-enterprise services.
Combines hands-on environmental work with digital and IT skills that modern waste services increasingly need.
Meaningful public-health and environmental impact, keeping communities clean and reducing pollution.

Against it

Field and plant work can be dirty and physically demanding, with exposure to hazardous and medical waste if safety rules slip.
Many roles depend on county budgets and project funding, so some graduates rely on private waste firms and recycling enterprises.

What it costs

Tuition at both ends of the market, and how to pay for it.

What it costs, and where

Against 181 environmental science courses

Public63k to 67k

63k at Kisii University67k at TVET institutions (KUCCPS rate)

Annual tuition in Kenyan shillings, rounded. The upright tick is the median for this field, so a bar sitting entirely to its right is an expensive programme by the standards of its own subject.

The fine print

Kisii Univ 63.4K/yr e-waste (victormatara.com), TVET 67K. Private: unverified.

Funding is available through the HELB TVET loan, NG-CDF and county government bursaries, the Mastercard Foundation TVET scholarship, and government capitation for public TVET students.

Funding options

HELB TVET Loan
NG-CDF Bursary
Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program

Scholarships

5 recorded

Mastercard Foundation TVET Scholars Program
SponsorshipKsh 67,000Kenyan
Kenyan youth from disadvantaged backgrounds; TVET environment programme; academic promise.
County Government Bursaries
BursaryKsh 20,000Kenyan
Resident of the county; environment student; financial need.
NG-CDF Bursary
BursaryKsh 15,000Kenyan
Resident of the constituency; needy student in a TVET programme.
Government TVET Capitation
GrantKsh 30,000Kenyan
Kenyan student placed in a public TVET institution; subsidised tuition through government capitation.
HELB TVET/Diploma Loan
LoanKsh 60,000Kenyan
Kenyan citizen enrolled in an accredited TVET institution; financial need.

Getting in

The grades, the alternatives, and who accredits the award.

What you need

KCSE mean grade: KCSE mean grade C- (Minus)
Alternative entry: A relevant Level 5 certificate, a Craft Certificate in a related field, or an equivalent qualification from a recognised institution. Prior learning and experience may be assessed for entry.

Mathematics or Physics
D (plain)
Biology or Chemistry
D (plain)
English or Kiswahili
D (plain)

How you are assessed

5 components

Practical Skills Demonstrations
Practicum40% of the mark
Competency-based assessment where learners demonstrate waste handling, recycling, safety, and IT/GIS skills against CDACC standards.
Theory Assessments
Cat20% of the mark
Written assessments covering waste systems, recycling, regulations, sanitation, and IT theory.
Final Competency Assessment (KNEC/CDACC)
Exam20% of the mark
Final practical and theory competency assessment administered and certified for the Level 6 qualification.
Industrial Attachment Assessment
Practicum10% of the mark
Assessment of competencies demonstrated during supervised workplace attachment, verified by the employer and trainer.
Waste-Management Project
Project10% of the mark
A supervised project such as a waste audit, recycling plan, or digital reporting system for a site or community.

Accreditation

A competency-based qualification quality-assured by TVETA, with curriculum and assessment developed by the Curriculum Development, Assessment and Certification Council (CDACC) and certification by KNEC, aligned with NEMA environmental standards.

Accredited by

Technical and Vocical Education and Training Authority
NationalRequired
Mandatory accreditation for TVET institutions and programmes in Kenya.
Curriculum Development, Assessment and Certification Council
NationalRequired
Develops the competency-based curriculum and assessment tools for this Level 6 qualification.
National Environment Management Authority
National
Sets environmental and waste-management standards and regulates waste handlers in Kenya.

Where it leads

The roles it opens, and what you leave with.

Where graduates go

5 roles

Sanitation Officer
Medium demandKsh 30,000 to Ksh 62,000
Supports sanitation services, drainage, and public-health hygiene in counties and institutions.
Waste-Management Officer
Medium demandKsh 30,000 to Ksh 65,000
Plans and supervises waste collection, sorting, and disposal for county environment departments and private waste firms.
Environmental Compliance Assistant
Medium demandKsh 32,000 to Ksh 68,000
Supports NEMA compliance, waste licensing, record-keeping, and environmental reporting for firms and counties.
Recycling / Recovery Officer
Medium demandKsh 30,000 to Ksh 70,000
Runs material recovery and recycling operations, linking collectors to recyclers and circular-economy markets.
Waste-Data / IT Officer
Medium demandKsh 32,000 to Ksh 70,000
Uses IT, spreadsheets, and GIS to record, analyse, and report waste and environmental data for counties and waste firms.

Graduate outcomes

Graduates work as waste-management officers, recycling and sanitation officers, environmental compliance assistants, and waste-data officers in county governments, private waste firms, recyclers, and large institutions.

Where these fields lead

8 careers

Tools you will learn

GIS Software
Gis softwarePrimary
GIS for waste collection route planning and site mapping
Waste Management Software
Environmental softwarePrimary
Software for tracking waste collection, recycling, and disposal
Microsoft Excel
Data analysis
Spreadsheet for waste data tracking and reporting
Environmental Monitoring Sensors
Monitoring equipment
Sensors for monitoring air quality, water quality, and landfill conditions

Certifications

Industry links

Common misconceptions

Waste management is just collecting rubbish.
It involves collection logistics, recycling science, hazardous-waste handling, environmental law, sanitation, and digital data systems to protect public health.
There is no career or money in waste.
Counties, private firms, and recyclers hire waste officers, and recycling and circular-economy enterprises offer strong income and self-employment.
IT has nothing to do with waste management.
Digital tools, data, and GIS are increasingly used to plan routes, track waste, monitor compliance, and report to NEMA.
This is a low-status field with no progression.
Graduates can progress to environmental and public-health degrees and into sustainability and circular-economy roles.