Western Kenyans adopting solar powered cooker!

People in Western Kenya are among the first to adopt a simple cooking technology that can save money and the environment.

Charcoal or wood are among the biggest expenses for people living in rural areas and they provide 79 per cent of the energy in Kenya. That's why a solar-powered cooker called CooKit, came as a salvation for Monica Odera, a small scale farmer in Kajimbo division. For many years, Ms Odera struggled to divide her time between farming activities and preparing family meals, while keeping a budget for charcoal and firewood. "I would spend Sh400 on a bag of charcoal and Sh120 for firewood per month," she said. But in 2003, Ms Odera bought a solar cooker kit at Sh1,100 from a local subsidiary of a California-based charity called Solar Cookers International. The CooKit, locally dubbed Oywa for a Luo name for the people of Nyakach, consists of a solar cooker, a cooking pot and plastic bags used to cover the device. The Cookits cost from Sh4,000 for a "box type" that can cook on two or three pots at moderate to high temperatures, to Sh20,000 for the "panel cookers" which require less maintenance. Preparing githeri (boiled maize and beans ) takes four hours using Oywa.

Since she bought the CooKit, Ms Odera has been able to devote more time to other domestic needs and now spends Sh200 on charcoal and Sh50 on firewood in a month.

The use of solar energy in Kenya dates back to 1977, when it was introduced by the German technical aid agency German Technical Cooperation (GTZ). But the initial project did not last long because it relied on expensive imported products from Germany.

Interest was revived in the mid 1990s when Solar World International, began distributing solar cookers for United Nations refugee camps in the country. Faustine Lutta Odaba, Solar Cookers International field training officer, East Africa region said that following the project a total of 2,350 cookers were distributed in Kakuma camp and other localities by 2001. In subsequent years, the solar charity trained local women in lake Victoria region and the Solar Cookit was introduced in the community two years ago.

By last year, Ms Odaba said, 4,000 CooKits were sold in Kadibo. The organisation is now moving to other parts of the country and has started a project in Kajiado in Rift valley province. Since its inception the organisation has provided 30,000 families in Africa with CooKits, said Ms Odaba.

In Kenya at the moment the advocacy for solar cooking kits is mainly done by non-governmental organisations. Odaba said small-scale entrepreneurs still see little value in selling the kits in large numbers because the uptake is still low.

"Cultural barriers also hamper the adoption of cookers. For example telling a person that she can cook her food outdoors is very difficult to some communities," said Odaba.

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