Kenya Power Targets 500,000 Electric Cooking Customers

Kenya Power is on a mission to promote electric cooking (e-cooking) among its vast customer base of 9.2 million, with ambitious plans to increase e-cooking users from the current 90,000 to over 500,000 within the next three years.

Joseph Siror, the Managing Director & CEO of Kenya Power, made this announcement during the launch of the Global eCooking Coalition (GeCCo) at the Africa Climate Week in Nairobi.

Traditionally, electricity has been seen as an expensive option for cooking by many Kenyans. Middle-class households typically own electric appliances like kettles and microwaves but predominantly rely on liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) for their cooking needs. However, recent studies have challenged this perception, revealing a significant untapped potential for e-cooking in the country, according to Siror.

Data from Kenya Power indicates that only 1% of electricity customers currently use the service for cooking, with the majority of Kenyans still relying on wood fuel and gas.

GeCCo is an initiative focused on accelerating the transition from conventional cooking methods to e-cooking, both in households and commercial settings.

The coalition is comprised of organizations such as the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP), Modern Energy Cooking Services (MECS), Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL), and Energising Development (EnDev), among others.

Kenya Power is determined to collaborate with partners to drive e-cooking adoption across the nation. The utility company has already joined forces with several organizations, including Modern Energy Cooking Services (MECS), the African Centre for Technology Studies (ACTS), and the Clean Cooking Association of Kenya (CCAK), to champion e-cooking in various counties, including Makueni, Kitui, Nakuru, Kakamega, and Kisumu.

To raise awareness and encourage e-cooking adoption among its customers, Kenya Power has launched the “Pika na Power” public awareness campaign. Additionally, the company has established demonstration centers in Nairobi, Kisumu, Nakuru, and Mombasa to advance the e-cooking agenda on a national scale.