Why Siaya Wants More Households to Switch to Clean Cooking
Counties are increasingly treating household energy as a public health challenge, with cleaner alternatives seen as key to reducing disease and lowering emissions.
Siaya County has intensified efforts to encourage households to adopt cleaner cooking technologies as concerns grow over the health risks posed by smoke from traditional fuels, which continue to be used by the majority of Kenyan families.
The campaign, spearheaded by the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) in partnership with the Siaya County Government, Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC) Siaya and the Chronic Diseases Society, aims to reduce household air pollution while advancing the county’s climate and public health goals.
Furthermore, the initiative aligns with the Siaya County Climate Change Action Plan (2023–2028), which prioritizes reducing reliance on biomass fuels such as firewood and charcoal in favor of cleaner alternatives including liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), electric cooking and biogas.
The renewed push comes as an estimated 9.1 million Kenyans, representing 68.5% of households still depend on traditional fuels for cooking, heating and lighting. Of these, around 7.4 million households are in rural areas while 1.7 million are in urban centres, exposing millions to harmful indoor air pollution.
Health experts have also warned that prolonged exposure to smoke from burning firewood, charcoal, kerosene, diesel and petrol increases the risk of respiratory illnesses, including asthma, bronchitis, allergies and other chronic lung conditions.
Speaking during a two-day medical camp in Siaya, EPRA Acting Director General Dr. Eng. Joseph Oketch said the regulator has been working to create an enabling environment for the adoption of clean cooking technologies across the country.
He said the authority has strengthened regulations governing the energy sector, expanded oversight of safe cooking infrastructure and promoted investment in cleaner energy solutions. He also added that EPRA has rolled out consumer awareness programmes to educate households on the safe use of clean cooking technologies.
As part of the outreach, residents received free medical consultations, respiratory screening, diagnosis and treatment services. The medical camp also included public education sessions on clean cooking options, energy efficiency and practical ways to reduce exposure to indoor air pollution.
As Siaya steps up awareness campaigns, the success of the initiative will ultimately depend on whether more households are able to transition from traditional fuels to cleaner cooking alternatives that are both affordable and accessible.
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