Adoption of Clean Cooking in Developing Countries: The Case of Kenya

It is generally agreed that biomass will remain a key source of energy in developing countries for many years. However, this role comes at the cost of significant environmental and health impacts. The use of improved cookstoves is one of the recommended ways to reduce the exploitation of biomass resources. Recent projections in Sub- Saharan Africa indicate that increase in access to clean cooking is outpaced by the rate of population increase. This study seeks to assess the commonly used cookstoves in Kenya to establish their effectiveness in reducing fuel consumption. An experimental approach using a standard Water Boiling Test is used to examine stove characteristics and performance. In addition, an economic analysis is conducted to determine the economic significance of the savings from improved cookstoves to Kenyan households. Results show that variations in stove designs of commonly used cookstoves in Kenya cause statistically significant differences in the stoves’ performance. However, the payback time of adopting improved cookstoves may contribute to reduced access or discourage the adoption of clean cooking technologies. Therefore, while the environmental benefits of clean cooking stoves are undeniable, the economic impact on low-income households that rely on inefficient technologies is a significant barrier to their adoption.