Nairobi is the centre of Kenya's scrap trade and the centre of the problem that shut it down. Yards cluster in Industrial Area, Kariobangi, Dandora and the eastern estates, and enforcement here is more visible than anywhere else in the country. Prices follow the national board; what differs is how carefully a licensed yard now asks where metal came from.
Scrap metal prices per kg in Nairobi
| Scrap type | Price (KES) | Change | Global reference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Non-ferrous (per kg) | |||
| Copper Scrap | KSh 1,392 / kg | ▲ +1.22% | $5.81 / lb |
| Aluminum Scrap | KSh 208 / kg | ▲ +1.16% | $0.87 / lb |
| Brass Scrap | KSh 848 / kg | ▲ +1.14% | $3.54 / lb |
| Stainless Steel Scrap | KSh 137 / kg | ▲ +0.00% | $0.57 / lb |
| Lead Scrap | KSh 141 / kg | ▲ +0.00% | $0.59 / lb |
| Zinc Scrap | KSh 216 / kg | ▲ +0.00% | $0.90 / lb |
| Battery Scrap | KSh 55 / kg | ▲ +0.00% | $0.23 / lb |
| Radiator Scrap | KSh 800 / kg | ▲ +1.21% | $3.34 / lb |
| Wire Scrap | KSh 673 / kg | ▲ +1.44% | $2.81 / lb |
| Cable Scrap | KSh 448 / kg | ▲ +1.08% | $1.87 / lb |
| Electronic Scrap | KSh 192 / kg | ▲ +1.27% | $0.80 / lb |
| Ferrous and bulk (per tonne) | |||
| Steel Scrap | KSh 35,941 / tonne | ▲ +0.00% | $300 / ton |
| Iron Scrap | KSh 31,628 / tonne | ▲ +0.00% | $264 / ton |
| Car Scrap | KSh 43,129 / tonne | ▲ +0.00% | $360 / ton |
| Cast Iron | KSh 34,503 / tonne | ▲ +0.00% | $288 / ton |
Indicative dealer prices for clean, sorted scrap in Kenya, shown here for Nairobi. Individual yards quote around this level by grade, volume and condition; the derivation from exchange benchmarks and the exchange rate (1 USD = 129.38 KES) is described in the methodology section below.
Nairobi scrap price chart (KES)
Daily open, high, low and close for the most traded scrap metals in KES, the same series Nairobi yards price against. Scroll to zoom and drag to move along the timeline.
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The scrap market in Nairobi
Nairobi holds the largest concentration of licensed dealers in Kenya, and the trade is layered. Industrial Area carries the established processors and the yards that handle demolition and industrial volume. Kariobangi, Dandora, Umoja and the eastern estates carry the smaller dealers who buy from collectors and consolidate upward. Kisumu, Nakuru and Eldoret run the same pattern at a smaller scale, but the buyers who set prices for the country are here.
The city is also where the case for the 2022 ban was made. Reporting from that period documented guardrails stripped from Outer Ring Road between Kariobangi roundabout and Allsops, street lighting gone from a road only a few years old, and the central reservation barrier torn out along Haile Selassie Avenue near Muthurwa Market. Landhies Road, Ring Road and Jogoo Road showed the same pattern. That is the direct reason a Nairobi yard today asks questions a yard in most countries would not, and why joint operations between police and Kenya Power have produced arrests for possession of utility property.
- County
- Nairobi County
- Currency
- Kenyan shilling (KES), quoted per kilogram
- Regulator
- Scrap Metal Council, under the Scrap Metal Act 2015
- Watch for
- Utility and road infrastructure material, which no licensed yard should accept
Where the scrap yards are in Nairobi
- Industrial Area: the established processors and the yards that take demolition and industrial volume.
- Kariobangi: a long-standing concentration of dealers buying from collectors.
- Dandora and Umoja: smaller dealers consolidating household and estate material.
- Eastleigh and the eastern estates: mixed trade, closer to the collector end of the chain.
What pays well in Nairobi
- Demolition and industrial ferrous delivered directly to an Industrial Area processor.
- Clean separated copper and brass, which move through fewer hands than mixed loads.
- Aluminium from window frames and vehicle parts, where local demand is steady.
Selling scrap metal in Nairobi: rules, ID and payment
Every buyer must hold a Scrap Metal Council licence; dealing without one carries a fine of up to KSh 10 million or three years' imprisonment. Expect a Nairobi yard to ask where material came from and to refuse anything resembling utility or road infrastructure, because possession of that material has led to arrests here. Transport is confined to prescribed hours, reported as 6.30am to 6pm, and a certified copy of both the dealer's and the recipient's licence must travel in the vehicle.
Before any sale, check the live board above, sort by grade and get quotes from two or three buyers; the best scrap price guide covers the routine and the calculator turns a weight into a figure at today's price. To judge whether a local quote is competitive, our note on telling a well-paying yard from a headline rate sets out the benchmark test.
Nairobi scrap price FAQ
What is the scrap copper price in Nairobi today?
As of the latest update, the indicative price for clean number 1 copper is about KSh 1,392 per kg in KES. Nairobi yards typically quote within a few percent of that figure either side, depending on grade, volume and the buyer; the live board above shows all fifteen grades.
Where are the scrap yards in Nairobi?
Industrial Area carries the larger processors and demolition buyers. Kariobangi, Dandora, Umoja and Eastleigh carry the smaller dealers who buy from collectors and consolidate upward. The two levels pay differently, and going one step up the chain is usually worth the journey.
Why do Nairobi yards ask so many questions?
Because the vandalism that closed the national trade in 2022 was worst here: guardrails, street lighting, road barriers and utility metal taken across the city. Police and Kenya Power operations have produced arrests for possessing utility property, so a licensed yard has a direct reason to check.
Can I sell scrap in Nairobi without a licence?
Selling your own metal does not require a licence. Buying scrap as a business does, and dealing without a Scrap Metal Council licence carries a fine of up to KSh 10 million or three years in prison.
Are Nairobi prices different from the national board?
The board on this page is the Kenya indicative level, and Nairobi yards trade around it rather than exactly on it. Local competition, freight to the nearest consumer and the day's export demand set the spread, which is why two quotes in the same city can differ by several percent on the same morning.
Sources and methodology
The Nairobi board uses the Kenya indicative prices: global exchange benchmarks (COMEX copper, CME aluminum and steel, NYMEX platinum and palladium, IMF monthly lead, zinc and nickel) multiplied by typical yard recovery shares, a local market factor of 0.84 and the day's exchange rate. The full method, the recovery shares and the correction policy are on our editorial policy page; local notes on this page are reviewed against published dealer information and reader corrections sent to info@scrappricetoday.com.
Prices are indicative and for information only; they are not offers to buy or sell. Yard quotes in Nairobi vary by grade, volume, condition and buyer.
Nearby and related
Scrap metal prices in Kenya · All countries · Catalytic converter prices