Financing Clean Cooking: How KOSAP Is Powering a Cooking Revolution

Kenya Off Grid Solar Access Project’s key objective is to expand market reach for companies selling clean cookstoves to the remotest areas of our country. This has provided a great opportunity for communities living in such areas with no access to different cooking solutions but firewood and charcoal.

Ms Ann Lenturkan from Lporos Village, Milimani Location in Samburu County is one of the early beneficiaries of locally available cooking products. “This has been one of the best decisions I have made and it has transformed my cooking experience. Before, I used to buy one drum of makaa (charcoal) at KES 150 for only two days but since I bought this EcoZoom jiko, I now use the same drum for 5 days, which saves me a lot of money.”

Ms Lenturkan says due to her meagre resources, she received financial support from Equity Bank to purchase the improved cookstove at KES 5000 and she repaid the loan in four equal installments. Ms Lenturkan adds that her clean cooking stove is efficient and reduces fuel consumption by up to 50 percent.

Other associated benefits are faster cooking time and reduced harmful carbon emissions by 60 percent. She adds, she rarely buys respiratory drugs that she used to purchase to suppress consistent and irritant coughs that usually left her breathless. 

Ms Lenturkan noted, “Before I had to cook in a makeshift kitchen outside my house and that exposed me to severe cold. But now I securely cook in the main house and all I have to do is to open my window to improve airflow. I now cook faster, inside my house without worrying much about the smoke.” She recalls.

Equity Bank is one of the companies that benefited from the KOSAP Results-Based Facility that provides incentives to clean cooking companies to set up businesses in the underserved counties of the country.

“I have told my friends and neighbours to buy the jiko so that they can enjoy the benefits like I am doing,” a happy Ms. Lenturkan reiterated.