Siaya County are among the pioneers, and the impact of this transition has already been profound cleaner kitchens, healthier cooks, lower environmental stress, and more efficient meal preparation.
Traditional Cooking Methods in Rural Schools
Across Kenya, most schools still rely on firewood for cooking, an expensive and environmentally damaging practice. The Clean Cooking Association of Kenya reports that schools consume more than 1.3 million tonnes of firewood each year, accelerating deforestation and placing immense pressure on forests. In Kilifi County, WWF-Kenya and partners under the Voices for Just Climate Action programme are tackling this challenge by introducing energy-efficient stoves that make school kitchens cleaner, safer, and more sustainable.
Across East Africa, the reliance on firewood in schools has become a critical environmental and economic issue. Kenya’ s education sector alone consumes 10 million trees annually, devastating local forests and biodiversity. With nearly 90 % of public schools still using firewood, the pressure on natural ecosystems is severe. Nature Kenya estimates that a single school can clear up to 56 acres of forest each year just to meet its cooking needs. Neighboring Uganda faces similar challenges, losing forests at a rate of 2.6 % annually, one of the fastest declines globally.
The economic burden is equally significant, as schools spend vast amounts on firewood. Clean cooking innovators like Festus Agisu, founder of Green Air Fire Solutions, offer alternatives through Energy-Smart Solar Powered Biomass Pellet Cooking Boilers. Using pellets made from sugarcane waste, these systems reduce emissions and costs. Agisu notes that schools adopting these technologies
are saving up to 70 % in cooking energy expenses demonstrating that clean cooking is not only environmentally responsible but also economically transformative.
Many Kenyan schools still rely on firewood for cooking, exposing cooks to harmful smoke inhalation that leads to respiratory illnesses and other long-term health complications. High firewood consumption also drains already limited school budgets, while long cooking times often delay school feeding programmes. To address these challenges, the NACONEK Mass Transition to Clean Cooking Energy for Sustainable School Feeding project implemented by NACONEK, WFP, GEAPP, SE4ALL, and Verst Carbon is transforming school kitchens nationwide.
Ways Clean Cooking Energy Is Revolutionizing Rural School Kitchens
Improved institutional cookstoves are playing a key role in transforming school kitchens across Kenya, reducing firewood consumption by 50-70 % and easing pressure on forests. In counties like Kakamega and Meru, schools supported by SNV and GIZ have adopted institutional rocket stoves, creating cleaner and more efficient cooking environments. Scaling up such clean cooking technologies across East African schools is essential not only to meet climate action goals, but also to free up resources that schools can redirect toward education and infrastructure.
A range of partners, including NGOs, government agencies, and private sector innovators, continue to promote cleaner solutions such as efficient biomass stoves, biogas systems, and solar-powered cooking. According to Festus Agisu of Green Air Fire Solutions, growing awareness and expanded initiatives are paving the way for a transformative shift toward greener school kitchens. However, long-term success depends on convincing school administrators, budget holders, and policymakers of the benefits. Overcoming concerns about upfront costs and clearly demonstrating health, environmental, and financial advantages are critical to driving full adoption of clean cooking technologies. There are different ways that clean cooking energy solutions are revolutionizing rural school kitchens as highlighted here-under.
A). E-Cookers
Reduced cooking costs are one of the strongest motivators driving the shift to clean energy in rural Kenyan schools. By cutting down fuel consumption, schools are able to redirect savings toward essential needs such as textbooks, scholarships, and improved facilities. For instance, schools that transition from traditional three-stone fires to improved institutional stoves often reduce firewood expenses from KES 15,000 per week to about KES 7,000, freeing up significant funds that directly benefit students. Energy-efficient e-pressure cookers also drastically cut cooking time, reducing githeri preparation from three hours to less than one hour, which lowers energy use and improves meal schedules.
Organizations such as CLASP and Kenyan innovator Ecobora are accelerating this shift. Through the Efficiency for Access e-cooking project, they are testing electric cooking solutions in schools to replace biomass. Ecobora’ s award-winning electric cooker- designed for large-scale use- offers solar and electric functionality, cleaner kitchens, and zero firewood dependency. One notable example is Nyawara Girls Secondary School in Siaya County, a pilot site where electric stoves have significantly reduced energy costs and improved kitchen safety. Across nine schools in seven counties, these innovations now support over 12,000 students, proving that clean electric cooking is affordable, reliable, and capable of preparing traditional Kenyan meals at scale.
Clean cooking solutions are no longer a distant ideal; they are actively reshaping rural school kitchens across Kenya. From reduced fuel costs and faster meal preparation to smoke-free kitchens that protect the health of cooks and students, these technologies are proving that clean energy is both practical and transformative.
B). LPG Systems
The adoption of Liquefied Petroleum Gas( LPG) in rural Kenyan schools is transforming cooking efficiency, health outcomes, and environmental sustainability. LPG provides a cleaner flame, shorter cooking time, and dramatically reduced smoke, making it an ideal alternative to traditional firewood. In semi-rural schools across Embu and Nakuru, LPG has enabled cooks to prepare meals and tea much faster, ensuring students receive food on time
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