A survey has revealed that Kenyans spend Sh68 billion annually on charcoal at the domestic level.

The survey by the Ministry of Energy also shows that more 90 per cent of rural households use wood fuel for cooking, which poses health, environmental and economic challenges. 

Launching the report at the opening of the Clean Energy Forum in Nairobi yesterday, Energy Cabinet Secretary Charles Keter said the survey would provide baseline data to guide government policy to promote access of clean cooking alternatives. 

Indoor pollution from cooking with solid fuels such as wood which 4.3 million Kenyan households use is a leading cause of death across the world. Close to four million people die prematurely due to illnesses linked to household air pollution as a result of using inefficient fuels.

The study commissioned by Clean Cooking Association of Kenya under the Ministry of Energy with support of governments of Netherlands and Germany is seen as a critical step towards the achievement of the Kenya’s global commitment to mitigate the effects of climate change. 

“Under the Paris Agreement, Kenya has committed to cut its greenhouse emissions by 30 per cent. Introducing green cooking solutions is expected to reduce the emissions by at least 14  per cent ,” said Keter.

In line with the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goal 7, Kenya is also targeting to lead the entire population in accessing clean and modern cooking technologies by 2030. 

The study, according to Permanent Secretary Ministry of Energy Joseph Njoroge, would help the government come up with strategies to help Kenyans access clean cooking by 2028, two years ahead of the UN’s target.

To achieve that target, Njoroge said that government was setting up centres in all the 47 counties to showcase innovations in clean cooking solutions and attract investment in the sector.

 “We are also appealing to the Ministry of Finance to put incentives such as tax exemptions to encourage more investors in the sector,” said Njoroge.