Kenya’s continued reliance on charcoal, firewood and other traditional cooking fuels has come under sharp criticism in the Senate, with lawmakers calling for urgent investment in cleaner and affordable alternatives to protect public health and the environment.
About 65.6 per cent of Kenyan households, equivalent to nearly nine million families, still depend on traditional fuels for cooking despite the country having the highest clean-cooking access in East Africa at an estimated 34.4 per cent.
The situation is worse in rural areas and public institutions, including schools, hospitals and prisons, where reliance on traditional fuels can exceed 90 per cent.
Lawmakers warned that the heavy use of these fuels is contributing to indoor air pollution, which is linked to more than 26,000 deaths every year, with women and children bearing much of the burden.
Nominated Senator Hamida Kibwana, who sponsored a Motion seeking stronger government action and financing for clean cooking, said the issue should not be left to individual households because of its wider impact on the country.
“Clean cooking is often treated as a household matter, yet its consequences sit squarely within Parliament's mandate,” Kibwana said.
She linked the issue to public health, the cost of living, women’s welfare, forest loss, climate commitments, local manufacturing and the budgets of public institutions.
Senator Mutanda, who seconded the Motion, said Kibwana had been championing clean cooking, particularly in relation to the welfare of the girl child.
Nominated Senator Tabitha Mutinda said the transition was necessary to protect women and children and improve their welfare.
“Clean Cooking is about protecting our mothers and children,” she said, calling for greater investment in public awareness by the Ministries of Health and Energy.
Mombasa Senator Faki Mohammed called for Kenya to prioritise clean cooking while taking steps to lower the cost of gas energy.
Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei urged the government to remove VAT on LPG products, while also calling on Kenyans to plant more trees.
Homa Bay Senator Moses Kajwang’ said cleaner cooking methods could help protect the environment, but stressed that alternatives must remain within reach of ordinary households.
“Through clean cooking we can hand over a clean and safe environment to our children,” Kajwang’ said.
Nominated Senator Beatrice Ogolla urged Kenyans to support the initiative, linking the transition to efforts to curb deforestation.
Machakos Senator Agnes Kavindu also backed the Motion, saying government support would help women enjoy greater dignity, while Wajir Senator Abass Mohamed urged county assemblies to introduce legislation supporting the shift to cleaner cooking.
Nyamira Senator Okong’o Omogeni said the deaths associated with charcoal and firewood use were unacceptable and called for action to address the problem.
The financial challenge remains a major hurdle. Faith Wandera, Director of Renewable Energy at the State Department for Energy, said about USD435 million would be needed to finance clean-cooking access for households alone. Kenya’s Energy Compact puts the wider financing gap at about USD1 billion.
Kibwana’s Motion wants the National Treasury and the Ministry of Energy and Petroleum to give clean cooking greater priority in national financing plans and expand access to climate finance and carbon markets under the Climate Change Carbon Markets Regulations 2024.
It also proposes that the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Forestry and the National Environment Management Authority publish a national whitelist and clear guidelines for issuing Letters of Authorization for clean-cooking projects seeking carbon finance.
The Motion further calls for counties to include clean-cooking targets in their County Integrated Development Plans.
The push places clean cooking at the centre of Kenya’s public health, energy, environmental and climate policies, with senators pressing the government to turn its commitments into affordable alternatives for millions of households and public institutions.