It is late in the afternoon. Murage Ngare is bent over a dumpsite.
Surrounded by discarded household garbage, broken plastic containers and construction debris, Mr Ngare’s focus here is, however, entirely on a specific, forgotten resource: dried-out coconut shells. The 67-year-old uses his bare hands to separate the dark brown shells from plastic waste. He ignores the rest of the items as he looks only for the hardest, most durable halves.
“The surroundings here are squalid, yet there’s a quiet dignity in the labour you’re seeing me engaged in. These discarded shells I am collecting are what others call garbage, but for me, it’s a resource for survival,” says Ngare. For over three decades now, he has fully immersed himself in the business of collecting discarded coconut shells and finding value in them, a form of informal recycling that helps him earn a livelihood.
What many people in Lamu, where Ngare has set base, do not know is that 38 years ago, he was actively engaging in security intelligence work for the government. But that was a long time ago, today, he has redefined his life, and now handcrafts art that enables him to earn not less than Sh30,000 per month.
He makes, modifies and sells household items from the recycled coconut waste, mostly the shells. He also designs bangles, earrings, bracelets, necklaces, belts and purses. Through the art of recycling coconut shells and other waste, Ngare also makes sugar, salt and soap dishes, soap holders, key holders, decorative bowls, cups, mugs, spoons, candle holders and vases.
During a recent interview at his Utamaduni Africa Workshop, which is located in Mkomani area within Lamu Old Town, Ngare said that apart from generating income, his recycling venture contributes to the preservation, protection and maintenance of a clean, waste-free environment.
He sells his products for between Sh300 to as high as Sh15,000 per item, depending on the size, designs, the level of decorations and styles incorporated.
He explains that he only salvages coconut shells that have dried up to a woody, iron-hard consistency. Such shells are valuable and durable for this purpose since they take years to decompose. After collecting the coconut shells, he cleans them and prepares them for crafting. The process includes polishing the shells and ensuring they are free from impurities before embarking on the journey to make the eco-friendly products.
Murage Ngare Ngatho displays his coconut recycled products at his Utamaduni Africa Workshop in Mkomani area in Lamu Old Town on February 1,2026.
Photo credit: Kalume Kazungu | Nation Media Group
“For earrings, I always make a variety of sizes; small, medium, large and extra-large and sell them for between Sh300 and Sh1,000 per pair. For home decorative items like candle holders, I sell them for between Sh5,000 and Sh15,000, also depending on the size and design,” said Ngare.
Ngare says that transitioning fully into his current job after nine years in the police force has greatly helped him process past trauma and find new purpose and a lease in life.
“I came to Lamu in 1989, just a year after leaving the Kenya Police Service. Lamu is where I started the coconut shell art and used it as a productive and therapeutic way to stay busy, process past trauma, anxiety and stress that had accumulated working in the high-pressure career,” he said.
He added, “Today, I can attest that the art has given me renewed purpose as it has provided a structured, engaging activity for me to fill time after leaving the police service.”
As a lover of the environment, Ngare says that as he walks around the streets, narrow pathways and the general seafront area of Lamu Old Town while selling his products, he has always taken the opportunity to engage and sensitise his customers and other individuals he interacts with on the importance of taking care of their habitat. “I am a staunch enthusiast of Professor Wangari Maathai. She believed that the environment cannot be protected unless people are empowered and informed to understand that these resources are their own. That’s why I keep on sensitising clients buying my recycled coconut shell items to always love their environment and keep it clean,” he added.
The father of three says that through the art, he is able to provide for his family back at his rural home in Kanyama Village in Karatina, Nyeri County, as well as paying his bills, including his rented house in Lamu.
His advice to youth who complain about unemployment is to move out of their comfort zones, focus on gaining practical skills, after which they can consider self-employment.
Murage Ngare Ngatho displays a raw coconut shell and finished recycled products, including earrings, on February 1, 2026.
Photo credit: Kalume Kazungu | Nation Media Group
“Stop being selective in the kind of work you want to do. Jobs are there, the world right now is big on recycling. With hard work and determination, anything is possible. Don’t wait to be employed; be creative and innovative. You’ll make it,” said Ngare.
Ngare went to Kapenguria’s Tartar Primary School in West Pokot and later Endarasha High School in Nyeri County where he completed his secondary education in 1977. In 1978, he joined the Kenya Police Training College in Kiganjo, after which he served in the force for nine years.
He worked in North Eastern Kenya - Garissa, Mandera, Wajir, and the Liboi border point of Kenya, as well as Somalia. He also served in Nyeri and Kiambu counties before he left the police service in 1988.
