Farmers in Kiambu county are slowly embracing the use of biogas to conserve the environment by reducing the use of charcoal and firewood for cooking.
Dairy farmer Florence Wanja from Mitahato village in Githunguri constituency said she had for a long time been looking for someone to train her on how to make biogas at home.
“I used to hear one can use animal waste to make gas for cooking and lighting. I did not know how to go about it or what to do with waste from my animals. I only used the animal waste as manure on the farm where I have planted bananas, nappier grass and maize,” she said on Sunday.
Wanja said one day she accompanied other farmers on a tour at HomeBiogas Company in Ting’ang’a, Kiambu, where they were taught about biogas and organic farming.
Wanja said she realised she could be saving a lot of money if she used biogas from her farm.
HomeBiogas head of commerce Daniel Mungai said they opened the company five years ago and have trained more than 1,500 farmers on how to make biogas.
Mungai said they decided to settle in Ting’ang’a, which to them is the 'centre' of Kiambu, to help dairy farmers in the area.
“We have so many dairy farmers in this county. We have extended our services to other regions in the country and farmers are responding positively to the use of biogas,” he said.
HomeBiogas founder and CEO Oshik Efrati said biogas saves money and forests and helps reduce pollution.
“Charcoal and firewood have left many people with respiratory problems and other health problems. It is also a reprieve for women who have to carry heavy loads of firewood,” he said.
Efrati said once a client gets the model, it is installed by a technician as they train them at their farms.
Farmer Roseline Waweru said she has been campaigning for farmers to use biogas to save money.