while reducing exposure to harmful smoke.
A strong example is Sinaga Girls’ Secondary School, where the installation of a 2-tonne LPG tank- donated by the KCB Foundation completely changed their kitchen operations. The school previously spent hours splitting firewood and consumed over 10 truckloads each term. With LPG, cooking is faster, the kitchen is cleaner, and freed-up space was repurposed to add an extra cooking stove. The tank now lasts nearly ten weeks serving over 1,000 students and staff.
Similarly, Got Matar Secondary School in Bondo shifted from using 12 pick-ups of firewood per term to an efficient LPG system, reducing pressure on local forests. Both schools are among more than 70 institutions supported by KCB Foundation, which provides grants covering up to 30 % of installation costs advancing SDGs on clean energy, health, and climate action.
C). Biogas Systems
Biogas systems are increasingly transforming cooking practices in rural Kenyan schools by turning animal waste into clean, reliable energy. Schools like Kaimosi Girls and St. Mark’ s Makutano Secondary School operate fully functional biogas units that supply fuel for daily cooking. These systems significantly reduce the need for firewood, lowering operational costs while creating a cleaner, healthier kitchen environment for staff.
Biogas also delivers significant environmental benefits. By cutting dependence on firewood, schools help reduce deforestation and protect surrounding ecosystems. Combined with electric cooking initiatives, biogas systems eliminate the need for biomass altogether, positioning schools as role models in environmental stewardship for their communities. The improved kitchen environments created by biogas systems directly enhance the learning experience. Faster and more efficient meal preparation ensures students receive food on time, supporting better concentration and attendance. Additionally, the absence of smoke leads to cleaner kitchens and better health for cooks.
Several organizations have played a major role in expanding biogas adoption. SNV( Netherlands Development Organization), through the EnDev programme, has supported the installation of improved institutional cookstoves in more than 800 schools nationwide. GIZ-EnDev has also been instrumental training cooks, installing efficient rocket stoves, and providing maintenance support to ensure long-term sustainability. In addition, Sistema. bio has supplied biogas solutions to rural schools in Laikipia, Kiambu, and Nakuru, enabling them to turn livestock waste into clean cooking fuel. By reducing firewood consumption, these schools help curb deforestation and demonstrate environmental leadership to their communities. Efficient, smoke-free kitchens also ensure students receive meals on time, supporting better concentration, attendance, and overall learning outcomes.
D). Improved Institutional Cookstoves
Improved institutional cookstoves have transformed school kitchens across rural Kenya by cutting firewood use by 50-70 %, reducing costs, and creating safer working environments. These modern stoves produce less smoke and heat, allowing cooks to work comfortably without the constant risk of burns, eye irritation, or respiratory problems. One of the leading contributors to this transition is BURN Manufacturing, whose institutional stoves have helped rural schools reduce firewood consumption by over 60 %. Their cleanburning technology ensures efficient cooking, and BURN continues to expand its impact through electric cooking pilots in various counties, providing schools with cleaner and more affordable fuel alternatives.
Another key player is Acacia Innovations, which supplies eco-friendly briquettes made from sugarcane waste( bagasse) and distributes improved cookstoves designed specifically for schools. These nearly smoke-free briquettes have drastically improved air quality in rural school kitchens, significantly reducing coughs, watery eyes, and long-term health risks such as pneumonia or chronic lung disease. Their portable institutional stoves Kenya’ s first designed for non-carbonized briquettes offer flexibility, enabling schools to use briquettes, firewood, or charcoal depending on availability.
A groundbreaking innovation comes from Ecobora, founded by Justine Abuga. Ecobora’ s solar-powered cookstove system is designed for rural, marginalized schools and delivers heat even during rainy seasons. By working with local boiler fabricators and Jua Kali artisans, the company has ensured wide distribution and support. Schools using Ecobora’ s technology report up to 100 % elimination of firewood use, saving more than KES 1.5 million per year. One solar unit comprising three stoves, five lithium-ion batteries, and 14 solar panels can serve up to 1,000 students, with flexible three-year repayment options.
Ecobora currently supports over 35,000 students, offering schools a clean, IoTenabled, energy-efficient system that tracks energy use, cooking time, and emission reductions. These improved cookstoves not only protect the environment but also allow schools to redirect savings to laboratories, books, and other essential learning resources.
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. Schools that once struggled with firewood shortages, unsafe kitchens, and unpredictable budgets are now redirecting savings toward books, laboratories, and better learning environments.
But the impact goes far beyond the kitchen. When government agencies, NGOs, private innovators, and communities work together, clean cooking becomes a catalyst for better education outcomes, stronger climate action, and healthier rural communities. The shift to cleaner energy is not just a technological upgrade it is a commitment to dignity, efficiency, and opportunity for every learner.
Kenya stands at the edge of a powerful transformation. With sustained collaboration and investment, every rural school can embrace safe, efficient, and sustainable cooking systems fueling a brighter future for generations to come.
Christine Nyandat is a seasoned insurance professional. You can commune with her on this or related issues via mail on: Nyandatc @ yahoo. com.