By Abdimalik Adow Adan
In the quiet town of Sagana, Kirinyaga County, a remarkable story of innovation and environmental stewardship is unfolding.
TOTOSCI, a homegrown manufacturing startup, is transforming plastic waste into high-quality phone charging cables—offering Kenyans a cleaner, smarter way to power up their devices.
But behind this thriving enterprise lies a deeply personal journey that started not with cables, but with a crisis.
“Around March 2020, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, I was part of a team of innovators working on ventilators,” recalls Anthony Karimi Muthungu, founder of TOTOSCI.
“We were sharing files constantly—using our phones and computers to collaborate in real time.”
One routine task proved to be an eye-opener.
“I needed to transfer a file from my phone to my computer. I searched the house and found five USB cables—all new, yet only one worked, and even that one was painfully slow. I was shocked.”
Frustrated and curious, Anthony took the cables apart to understand the problem.
“Three of them had the same fault—a problem I could fix. That’s when I started thinking: What if I dig deeper?”
He soon posted an offer on social media offering KShs 10 for every damaged or faulty USB cable.
“In just two weeks, over 7,000 cables were delivered to me.”
Building a team of six, they began testing and documenting each cable. After reviewing 4,000 cables, a clear pattern emerged.
“We could guess the problem before testing—it became that predictable.”
Once Anthony engineered a solution and refined the design, he submitted the fixed cable to the Kenya Bureau of Standards. It passed all quality and performance tests. Thus, in June 2021, TOTOSCI was born.
Fighting Pollution on Two Fronts: Plastic Waste and E-Waste
Kenya, like much of the world, is struggling with mounting plastic pollution and electronic waste. Disposable phone chargers clog landfills while plastic litters communities.
“At TOTOSCI, we are tackling pollution on two fronts—plastic waste and e-waste,” Anthony explains. “And we’re doing it with something people use every day—their chargers.”
Waste-Free Manufacturing and Community Empowerment
TOTOSCI’s impact goes far beyond making chargers. It begins with community engagement.
“We collect and buy PVC or LDPE plastic waste from local community members,” Anthony says. “We pay Kshs 10 per kilogram, directly supporting waste collectors.”
The collected plastics are carefully sorted by type (PVC, HDPE, LDPE, LLDPE), cleaned, cut into small pieces, shredded into pellets, and then mixed with masterbatch for coloring before being molded into new charging cables.
“We even recycle our production waste. Our process generates zero plastic waste,” Anthony adds proudly.
Joseph, an engineer at TOTOSCI, shares, “This initiative not only helps the environment but has also created jobs—I’m one of the beneficiaries.”
Today, TOTOSCI employs five full-time staff, three part-time workers, and indirectly supports over 100 community members including waste collectors and informal traders.
“We’re changing lives here. We’ve created jobs, cleaned up our environment, and proven that local solutions work,” Anthony emphasizes.
Making a Measurable Difference
Since its inception in 2021, TOTOSCI has recycled over five tonnes of plastic and produces approximately 2,000 cables daily.
Their products have earned certification from the Kenya Bureau of Standards and are stocked by over 100 retail outlets nationwide.
“Our cables perform better than many imported alternatives. That’s our pride—Made in Kenya, and built to last,” Anthony says.
“I never planned to start a cable company. But when five chargers failed, and I realized they all had the same issue, I saw a problem I could fix.”
That insight turned frustration into innovation, and innovation into a game-changing green tech company.
Despite their success, TOTOSCI faces hurdles typical of local startups.
“We lack the financial capacity to scale and invest in advanced machinery,” Anthony admits.
“We could do more research, prototyping, and expansion if we had the capital.”
High electricity bills for their 3-phase machinery also weigh heavily on operating costs, and market skepticism toward local products remains a barrier.
“Many still prefer foreign-made chargers, so changing that mindset is a challenge.
The tax system isn’t favorable to small manufacturers, making growth tough. Finding affordable space to grow has been difficult, too.”
Data from the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) and UNEP estimate that Kenya generates about 25,000 tonnes of solid waste daily, with plastic waste comprising roughly 20%, or 5,000 tonnes each day.
Against this backdrop, TOTOSCI’s story—from fixing faulty cables in a pandemic to building a zero-waste factory—is a glowing example of homegrown innovation with global relevance.
“We took what others discarded and turned it into something powerful—not just a product, but a statement,” Anthony concludes.
“We want Kenyans to believe in local ideas and to support solutions that benefit us and the planet.”
In the heart of Sagana, a single idea sparked by a broken cable is now charging phones, changing perceptions, and cleaning up Kenya—one charger at a time.
