Meru County needs close to Sh4 billion to meet the region’s energy needs and transition to clean cooking solutions in the next 10 years.
The Sh3.96 billion investment is required to enhance access to lighting and clean cooking at household level, support access to basic health services and clean water as well as agricultural production.
According to the Kenya National Cooking Strategy 2024 – 2028, Meru is among five counties with the highest number of households without clean cooking solutions. More than 388,000 households in Meru use firewood and charcoal for cooking.
Speaking during the launch of the Meru Energy Plan and Accelerating Clean Cooking Transition project, County director for energy Hellen Nkatha said a survey had established that more than 80 percent of households were using wood fuel.
The baseline survey, she said, had established that Meru residents use more than 1 million tonnes of firewood annually, impacting negatively on the environment.
“The county energy plan will guide the government on investment priorities to address access to energy for lighting, cooking and manufacturing. Our focus is on accelerating transition from biomass to biogas, gas, electric appliances and improved cooking stoves that save energy,” Ms Nkatha said.
This will be achieved by embedding clean cooking priorities into development plans.
Clean Cooking Association of Kenya (CCAK) National Coordinator Elly Odhiambo said they were supporting Meru, Taita Taveta and Kakamega counties to adopt clean cooking solutions through the A2CT project.
“We are encouraging linkages between energy entrepreneurs and users as well as capacity building for local entrepreneurs to develop different clean cooking solutions,” Mr Odhiambo said.
Accelerating County Cooking Transitions (A2CT) project manager Mariam Karanja said they intend to transition 86 percent of Meru residents to clean cooking solutions.
“Firewood, charcoal, and kerosene burden families with high health risks, financial costs, and time-consuming labour. Indoor air pollution contributes to respiratory illness, disproportionately affecting women and children. Unsustainable biomass use accelerates deforestation and increases emissions,” she said.
Ms Karanja appealed to the government to address affordability and lack of awareness which are limiting transition to clean cooking solutions.
“This is a wakeup call to the government to increase awareness, increase access and lower the cost of the liquefied gas, electric appliances and biogas equipment,” Ms Karanja said.