Campaigns for adoption of cooking with electricity have mainly focused on high- and middle-income households. The realization that low-income households also need to be targeted in the transition to clean cooking is timely. This project therefore, aims to conduct market scoping on e-cooking opportunities in informal urban settlements in Nairobi, to inform a market development intervention aimed at promoting access to and usage of eCooking appliances to households and food enterprises in informal settlements in Nairobi.
This project, as part of a package of studies for eCAP (ecooking capacity building and market development), will run in parallel to the development of the eCooking Strategy. To date, electric cooking programmes have mainly targeted the high to middle income households as the innovators and early adopters of eCooking in Kenya. However, the social impact of eCooking is likely to be substantially greater for low-income households living in informal urban settlements, where the use of polluting, inefficient and unsafe fuels such as charcoal and kerosene is prevalent.
Rice cooker in an urban informal settlement household
In addition, KPLC has been connecting low-income households in the Last Mile Connectivity Programme, but faces low consumption and misuse of meters. As a result, there could be substantial economic, health and safety benefits for low-income households and businesses adopting eCooking while at the same time stimulate (legal) electricity demand. Nevertheless, the high upfront cost and limited awareness of energy-efficient eCooking appliances for cooking, informal electricity connections, shared meters and poor-quality household wiring pose significant challenges.
Therefore, an in-depth scoping study is indeed timely to inform a market development intervention aimed at promoting access and usage of eCooking appliances to households and (food) businesses in informal urban settings.
Methodology
This study adopts a dynamic approach to research and adopts both qualitative and quantitative research methods which include focus group discussions, survey and key informant interviews.
The application of a mix of approaches is expected to generate evidence useful for the mapping of suitable market systems for the development of the electric cooking distribution chains in order to spur adoption of electric cooking as a clean cooking method in informal settlements while also increasing the demand for electricity.
In addition, the study incorporates action-based research which is participatory in nature and community focused by adopting the use of cooking diaries and on-site demonstrations of electric cooking. These activities are expected to create awareness on electric cooking within informal settlements.
Partners
Modern Energy Cooking Services (MECS) Programme
Funding
eCooking Capacity Building & Market Development Programme (eCAP), which is co-funded by UK Partnering for Accelerated Climate Transitions (UK PACT), Modern Energy Cooking Services (MECS) Programme, and the Climate Compatible Growth (CCG) programme.
eCAP aims to accelerate the electrification of cooking in Kenya by strengthening Kenya’s emerging eCooking sector by filling critical evidence gaps that can inform both the National eCooking Strategy & Kenya Power’s corporate strategy, and piloting a range of market ready innovations.
