“Taking action”: Meet Tiktoker mobilising youth to clean Nairobi

This story has significance for readers across Kenya and beyond.

- Kenyan TikToker Victor turned his concern over Nairobi’s littering culture into BroWhoCleans, a youth-led movement that has grown from four volunteers to thousands taking part in clean-ups

- In an exclusive interview with TUKO.co.ke, Victor shared what inspired him to start BroWhoCleans, how he uses TikTok to mobilise young people and the challenges he has faced along the way

- Victor also opened up about his five-year vision for BroWhoCleans, Nairobi’s waste crisis and why he believes young Kenyans can drive meaningful change in their communities

For many people in Nairobi, littering has become part of everyday life, with plastic bottles, food wrappers and other waste often scattered across streets and public spaces.

For Kenyan TikToker Victor, however, watching people casually throw rubbish into the environment became a call to action.

Born in Mombasa and raised in Nairobi, Victor is the founder of BroWhoCleans, a youth-led environmental movement that uses social media to encourage young people to take action against littering.

What began with Victor cleaning streets with his phone and his hands has since grown into a movement with more than 10,000 online supporters and thousands of volunteers participating in clean-ups.

In an exclusive interview with TUKO.co.ke, Victor reflected on the moment that inspired him to act, how he turned TikTok into a tool for mobilising young people and the challenges of building an environmental movement from the ground up.

How BroWhoCleans started

Victor said BroWhoCleans was born from his frustration with how environmental neglect had become normalised in Nairobi.

He recalled seeing someone throw rubbish from a moving matatu and questioning why people treated public spaces with less care than their homes.

That experience pushed him to take what he described as the "power of one" and start cleaning the streets himself.

"I picked up a broom, stepped onto the concrete pavement alone and decided to create a movement that would make caring for the environment look cool, fun and something young people could proudly celebrate," Victor said.

His first clean-up took place in Highrise, Nairobi, with only four people participating.

He had no large crowd or fancy equipment, just his phone, his hands and a desire to make a difference.

As people watched him clean, some became curious and eventually joined him.

"Our first clean-up had four people. Our latest clean-up had about 4,000 volunteers," he said.

For Victor, the growth demonstrated that change can spread when people see someone willing to take the first step.

"That experience taught me that change is contagious. You do not need a massive crowd or validation to begin. When you show genuine passion and consistency, the right people will eventually find you," he said.

How did Victor turn TikTok into a platform for change?

Rather than relying on traditional environmental campaigns, Victor chose TikTok as the main platform for growing BroWhoCleans.

He explained that he believes young people respond better to environmental messages when they are presented in a way that feels entertaining, authentic and relatable.

"Traditional environmental topics are often presented like school lectures, which young people can easily skip," he explained.

Through short videos, challenges, skits and before-and-after transformations, Victor has used the platform to show that environmental conservation does not have to be boring.

"When followers see our raw clips, environmental challenges and transformations, they realise that caring for the environment can be a fun and rewarding lifestyle," he said.

That online engagement has increasingly translated into physical action, with followers moving from watching his content to participating in clean-ups.

How many people turn up to Victor's clean ups?

BroWhoCleans has grown considerably since its first clean-up, with Victor saying the movement now has more than 10,000 supporters online and thousands of volunteers who have participated in activities on the ground.

"Seeing young people respond in such large numbers proves that there is a genuine desire among young Africans for authentic leadership that speaks their language," Victor said.

He believes the response also challenges the perception that young people are unwilling to take action on issues affecting their communities.

"When you engage them with fun, authenticity and a clear sense of purpose, they are willing to show up, take ownership and make a difference in their communities," he said.

Do people fail to show up to Victor's cleanups?

Building a movement, however, has not always meant having hundreds or thousands of people turn up.

Victor admitted that there have been clean-ups where the physical turnout was smaller than expected.

Instead of allowing the numbers to discourage him, he continued with the work.

"The litter on the streets does not disappear simply because fewer people show up," he said.

For Victor, consistency matters more than the size of the crowd on any particular day.

"I kept going whether I was cleaning with a small group or a large crowd because consistency is what builds trust and inspires people to join over time," he added.

How does Victor react to criticism?

As BroWhoCleans grew, Victor also encountered people who dismissed the initiative as another temporary social media trend.

He said some people initially failed to understand the work involved in organising regular clean-ups.

Behind every event, he explained, there is coordination involving volunteers, equipment and different stakeholders.

BroWhoCleans is largely self-funded, with Victor also working with corporate partners and brands that support its environmental goals.

These partnerships have helped the movement organise larger clean-ups and reach more young people.

What lessons has Victor learned about Kenyan youth?

Victor's experience has also changed his perception of Kenya's younger generation.

He believes young people are often unfairly portrayed as individuals who complain about problems without taking action.

His experience with BroWhoCleans, however, has shown him that many are willing to contribute when given the opportunity.

"Kenyan youth are sometimes unfairly portrayed as people who complain rather than take action, but my journey has shown me a very different side of them. They are innovative, passionate and ready to act when given an opportunity to contribute to something meaningful," he said.

The large turnouts at clean-ups, he added, demonstrate that young people want to be part of solutions affecting their communities.

What is Victor's take on Nairobi's waste crisis?

Victor told TUKO.co.ke that Nairobi's waste problem cannot be blamed on a single factor.

He pointed to littering habits, limited public awareness and challenges within waste management as some of the issues contributing to the crisis.

His proposed solution would involve giving young people a bigger role in maintaining their communities.

"If I were given the resources, I would prioritise creating localised Youth Impact Networks across every ward, giving young people the tools and opportunities to take an active role in keeping their communities clean," he said.

He also wants technology to play a bigger role, including digital tools that would allow residents to report waste, organise clean-ups and monitor progress.

For Victor, such an approach could create opportunities for young people while encouraging residents to take greater responsibility for their surroundings.

What is Victor's message to Kenyan youth?

Victor believes one of the biggest lessons from his journey is that people should not wait until they have money, equipment or institutional support before acting on an idea.

"I started with just my phone and my hands, using TikTok to share the journey and connect with people who believed in the same cause," he said.

He urged young Kenyans to start with what they have and focus on building a community around their ideas.

"Your individual actions can inspire others and create a ripple effect. Start where you are, use what you have and take ownership of the change you want to see in your community," he added.

What is Victor's vision for BroWhoCleans?

Looking ahead, Victor wants BroWhoCleans to grow beyond Nairobi and become a pan-African movement.

He said the initiative already has engagement from youth networks in countries including Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leone and Egypt.

Over the next five years, he hopes to expand clean-up initiatives to more African cities, strengthen partnerships and create more opportunities for young people to participate in environmental action.

"Ultimately, I want BroWhoCleans to show that when young people come together around a shared purpose, they can create lasting change and help end the culture of littering across Africa," he said.

For Victor, the mission remains simple: inspire people to take responsibility for their surroundings and prove that environmental action can become part of everyday life.

"Start exactly where you are and use whatever you have. Do not wait for the perfect opportunity, a corporate grant or someone else's permission to pursue your purpose," he said.

"Start small, build a strong and self-sustaining community around your cause and let your consistency speak for itself."

Who was the foreign man collecting plastic bottles in Nairobi?

TUKO.co.ke also highlighted facts about a foreign man collecting discarded plastic bottles on the streets of Nairobi, sparking a flurry of reactions across social media.

This unusual sight raised eyebrows and divided opinions, with some speculating whether he was an undercover operative or simply an environmental volunteer trying to make a difference.

Proofreading by Jackson Otukho, copy editor at TUKO.co.ke.

Source: TUKO.co.ke

Reporting originally appeared via TUKO. Read the full source for additional context.