Principal Secretary State Department for Energy Alex Wachira// Photo Courtesy
Busia is the leading county in the Western region in accessing clean cooking solutions, the Principal Secretary State Department for Energy Alex Wachira has revealed.
In his message, as the department is observing the clean cooking week 2024, Mr Wachira said Nakuru, Kakamega, Meru, Bungoma, and Nairobi have the highest deficit of clean cooking access, accounting for 1.83million households, or 21% of the national deficit.
” Our goal is to achieve Universal Access to clean cooking solutions by 2028. We shall embrace the principle of ” Leaving No One Behind,” he said, adding that they will exercise affirmative action for vulnerable communities.
Germany Ambassador to Kenya Sebastian Groth said over 90% of rural households in Kenya use firewood for cooking, relying majorly on thee-stone cooking stoves because they are cheap to assemble and operate.
To change this scenario, the ambassador said the Germany government is supporting Kenya’s transition to climate-friendly cooking technologies.
” Through this project in partnership with the Kenyan government, more than 9.5m Kenyans (1.9m) households have access to climate friendly cooking solutions and 3m tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents have been avoided,” he said.
Cabinet Secretary Ministry of Energy and Petroleum Hon Opiyo Wandayi said millions of Kenyans, especially women and children, are exposed to harmful smoke from traditional cooking methods.
” The long-term health effects, which include respiratory illnesses, are devastating, with over 20,000 deaths attributed to indoor air pollution each year in Kenya,” he said, noting that they are determined to reverse that worrying trend.
