Rural and urban households in the country have a reason to smile after the Ministry of Energy study revealed improved cooking stoves that are energy, health and environmentally viable.
Energy PS Gordon Kihalangwa said the promotion of clean cooking solutions aims to attain 100 per cent transition by all, with a view to embracing clean technologies in cooking.
In a baseline survey on household energy and indoor air quality, Kihalangwa observed that the Ministry underscores the importance of biomass, which accounts for 68 per cent of primary source of energy and recognition for it to be efficient and safe to protect forests, the environment and health of Kenyans.
The study on the dangers of emissions from cook stoves and fuels on the health and household members examined the use of improved cook-stoves, solar lamps, improved ventilation and awareness of the dangers of emissions from stoves and fuels, posed by the usage of biomass change.
The study team examined emissions from various cook stoves with the overall aim of assessing the impact of household emissions on the health of women and children.
The study compared the performance of traditional cooking stones to improved cook stove measuring their use in the real time and real energy performance.
The study particularly targeted the use of the three stone stove vis-a-vis Maendeleo liners, portable Maendeleo jikos, Kenya ceramic jikos and multipurpose stoves.
The comparison was based on the levels of carbon monoxide (CO), particulate matters (PM2.5) and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions to acceptable global levels of indoor air quality.
The study documented emissions data from various stoves for the purpose of informing interventions that aim to reduce household emissions, protect the health of women and children, build knowledge to inform further research on technology development as well as advocate for support mechanisms for the conservation of energy and mitigation of climate change as a social responsibility.
The Ministry presented the results of the study whose recommendations will be useful in the formulation of interventions that directly address the challenges faced by communities, especially in arid and semi-arid areas.
By Joseph Kamolo
