State aims to eliminate the use of wood energy for cooking in schools by 2028, Energy PS Gordon Kihalangwa has said.
Speaking on Wednesday in Machakos during a validation workshop, the PS said government's National Bioenergy Strategy Action Plan will facilitate a transition of all vulnerable communities from dependence on wood fuel for cooking to improved and cleaner cook stoves by 2028.
He said it will encourage the adoption of innovative platforms to drive bioenergy development in Kenya.
“I’m delighted to join you during this important workshop that has been convened to validate the National Bioenergy Strategy Action Plan. The plan has been prepared to guide implementation of the various bioenergy activities in line with the recommended priority actions contained in the Sustainable Energy for All Action Agenda (2016)."
"This action plan will guide bioenergy development in the short and medium term,” Kihalangwa said.
The PS said in the short term – 2021/2022, they had included enhancing policy, regulatory and institutional frameworks for effective delivery and coordination of bioenergy programmes; comprehensive mapping of the country’s bioenergy resources with potential for development.
Others are enhancing sustainable bioenergy feedstock production in urban, peri – urban and rural spaces; and evaluating the viability of reviving bioethanol blending with gasoline for transport sector consumption.
Kihalangwa said the plan in its medium term 2021/2027 aims to ensure the strengthening of bioenergy research capacity to inform policy and support development, transitioning to clean cooking fuels and technologies, mobilisation of financial resources for local bioenergy development, strengthening cooperation between health and energy sectors with respect to clean cooking.
The plan will also support and facilitate private sector involvement in bioenergy development, communicating, promoting and creating awareness of the available options as well as monitoring and evaluation of progress.
“On the overall, the action plan aims to eliminate the use of wood energy for cooking in all public institutions by 2028, facilitate a transition of all vulnerable communities from dependence on wood fuel for cooking to improved and cleaner cook stoves by 2028 and encourage the adoption of innovative platforms to drive bioenergy development in Kenya,” he said.
The PS said the government had made lots of efforts to increase forest cover in the country.
“Forest cover means the citizens must understand the importance of planting trees. Majority of our population due to lack of affordability to access alternative sources of energy like gas and electricity cut trees to burn charcoal,” Kihalangwa said.
“This bioenergy strategy covers a number of things including firewood, cow dung, and biomas. This strategy with its action plan will assist them to understand.”
Kihalangwa said it was possible to cut trees in a sensible manner and burn charcoal as more trees are planted to replace them.
He said the action plan was also aimed at educating the masses on tree planting and economical utilisation of forest cover.
“Most of the schools in the country especially the boarding ones, use economical kilns for cooking. To ensure schools have firewood, Kakamega School, Kenya High and Alliance for instance have their own forests. They cut trees in organised manner and also have created days to plant more trees in same forests,” Kihalangwa said.
