The County Government of Nakuru has launched a promotional campaign to accelerate the adoption of modern clean cooking technologies, aiming to combat climate change and reduce the rising cases of diseases caused by dirty fuels.
This initiative aligns with the national government’s Clean Cooking Strategy, developed by the Ministry of Energy and Petroleum, which seeks to ensure Kenya achieves universal access to clean energy by 2028.
County Chief Officer for Environment, Kennedy Mungai, emphasized that over-reliance on traditional cooking methods, such as open fires and rudimentary stoves, remains a critical health and environmental challenge requiring immediate action.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately 84% of Kenyan households rely on solid fuels like wood, charcoal, and crop residues, which produce toxic fumes and contribute significantly to indoor pollution.
Mungai highlighted that the WHO identifies household air pollution as a major global environmental risk, responsible for an estimated 1.6 million premature deaths annually worldwide.
Speaking at a conference organized by the Department of Environment in collaboration with “Power Up Kenya” to educate technical officers on clean cooking solutions, Mungai outlined the campaign’s focus on promoting climate-friendly biomass stoves and encouraging a shift from solid biomass and kerosene to cleaner alternatives.
These clean alternatives include biogas, bioethanol, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), solar photovoltaic (PV), and electric cooking.
Mungai pointed out that modern cooking stoves can reduce fuel consumption by up to 60%, thereby decreasing greenhouse gas emissions and other harmful pollutants.
The Ministry of Energy reports that 59% of Kenyan households still use traditional fireplaces for cooking, while only 30% have access to clean cooking solutions.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health estimates that around 23,000 deaths in Kenya each year are due to household air pollution. Women, girls, and children—who spend more time gathering fuel and cooking—are disproportionately affected by indoor pollution, spending long hours in smoky kitchen environments.
Mungai explained that using modern cooking fuels helps to reduce the need for biomass energy sources like firewood, thus contributing to forest and ecosystem preservation.
He also noted that the campaign aims to raise public awareness, shifting attitudes and social norms around cooking behaviour in favour of climate-friendly alternatives.
He further cited that cooking activities contribute to 70% of greenhouse gas emissions in Kenya, where 93.2% of rural households rely on wood fuel (firewood or charcoal), while only 30% of the population uses LPG, and a mere 3% of households own an electric cooking appliance.
County Director for Environment, Grace Karanja, stressed that although some Kenyans are aware of the harmful effects of cooking smoke, many are still unaware of the health and economic benefits of clean and efficient stoves and fuels.
She underscored that smoke from dirty fuels leads to various chronic illnesses, including early childhood pneumonia, lung cancer, bronchitis, cardiovascular disease, and low birth weight.
The campaign draws on Article 42 of the Constitution, which guarantees Kenyans the right to a clean and healthy environment, to drive legislative and social change toward cleaner, healthier cooking practices.
