Kenya Power is actively promoting the adoption of electric cooking (e-cooking) among its 9.2 million customers, with a target to increase uptake from approximately 90,000 current users to over 500,000 users in three years.
This was disclosed by the company’s Managing Director and CEO, Dr. (Eng.) Joseph Siror, during the launch of the Global eCooking Coalition (GeCCo) during the Africa Climate Week in Nairobi. GeCCo is an initiative aimed at accelerating the transition from traditional cooking methods to e-cooking, both domestically and commercially.
“Electricity has traditionally been viewed as an expensive cooking alternative by many Kenyans. Middle-class households often own task-specific electric cooking appliances such as kettles or microwaves but rely on liquefied petroleum gas for the bulk of their cooking. However, this is no longer the case, as recent studies have shown. There is, therefore, an enormous untapped potential for e-cooking in the country,” said Dr. (Eng.) Siror.
Recent data indicates that only one per cent of electricity customers use the service to cook, with the majority of Kenyans primarily relying on wood fuel and gas.
The coalition consists of the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP), Modern Energy Cooking Services (MECS), Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL), and Energising Development (EnDev), among others.
“Kenya Power will work with partners to drive the uptake of e-cooking across the country. The utility has partnered with several other organisations, including the Modern Energy Cooking Services (MECS), the African Centre for Technology Studies (ACTS), and the Clean Cooking Association of Kenya (CCAK), to champion e-cooking in Makueni, Kitui, Nakuru, Kakamega, and Kisumu counties,” added Dr. (Eng.) Siror.
Through its Pika na Power public awareness campaign, Kenya Power aims to raise awareness of e-cooking for increased uptake by its customers. The company has set up demonstration centres in Nairobi, Kisumu, Nakuru, and Mombasa to advance the e-cooking agenda nationally.
By Joseph Ng’ang’a
