Clean cooking revolution sweeping through Samburu

 Beneath the scenic Ngari Hills overlooking Maralal town, women’s voices pierce the air. Some are bending while others are down on their knees, with their hands rigorously making dough out of some black solid mass. The Samburu women are turning waste into smokeless charcoal briquettes.

 The women sell the briquettes in Maralal town. The clean burn of charcoal briquettes dramatically reduces indoor air pollution, which is one of the leading cause of respiratory diseases. Lilly Letiwa, the women's group leader, says they are using a mixture of charcoal dust, soil and water to mould and make smokeless charcoal briquettes. She adds that only some members were equipped with the new technology after training and they have since shared the knowledge with close to 50 women. "We are using a simple mixture of charcoal dust, soil and water. We just mix, bind and mould it and make charcoal briquettes. Women have mastered the art," says Ms Letiwa.

She explains the process of making the briquettes. She says women carefully sort out the waste to remove any unwanted objects, either metallic or glass that may be found in charcoal dust or soil. They then sprinkle water to moisten it.

 Ms Letiwa says the charcoal briquettes are environmentally friendly as they do not emit any smoke, unlike the ordinary charcoal. The charcoal briquettes, according to Ms Letiwa, last more than three times the cooking duration of the ordinary charcoal.  The group produces briquettes weekly and sells a single charcoal briquette for Sh5 to users, mostly hoteliers in Maralal town. Veronica Naserian, a group member who was previously jobless, is now a beneficiary of the initiative. She has dedicated herself fully to making charcoal briquettes for business.  "I learnt this art from my friends, and it is a lucrative business so far," she says.

 After selling the briquettes, the women keep the money in their savings account. They, after sometime, share their savings equally to cater for expenses; including school fees. 

"About 50 women in this initiative benefit from the savings account interest," says Ms Letiwa.

 The briquette making enterprise is therefore creating employment for rural women, where the rate of unemployment is high.  Samburu County is one of Kenya's least electrified counties, 11 years after the advent of devolution, and is vulnerable to climate change. Fuelwood and charcoal constitute 95 to 98 per cent of the total energy demand for cooking, heating and lighting in rural villages across the arid region. These forms of energy are associated with many health risks.

 In Maralal town and its environs, most residents use tonnes of charcoal daily. The burning of charcoal also releases large quantities of trace gases and particles that contribute to air pollution and climate change. Additionally, the demand for charcoal leads to deforestation and loss of natural woody formations, putting pressure on ecosystems.

Ms Letiwa advocates the use of smokeless charcoal briquettes to help reduce the health effects of fuelwood and charcoal.  "It’s clean energy and we are thus encouraging more women to join us in using these briquettes. We will not relent until more people are sensitised," she says.

 According to the National Cooking Sector Study of 2019, a majority of Kenyans living in the rural areas still require interventions that will increase their access to improved and cooking solutions. In Samburu, most people still rely on traditional biomass for cooking. The use of traditional cookstoves contributes to pollution of the household and the environment, which may lead to poor health outcomes. 

[email protected]