Officials have signed a Memorandum of Understanding.
By Kwamboka Angira
The Collaborative Labeling and Appliance Standards Program (CLASP) and Makueni County Government have established a five-year partnership to introduce clean cooking solutions in public institutions.
This initiative will benefit over 4,500 individuals across 63 vocational training centers within the county.
The agreement aims to accelerate the transition from polluting fuels such as charcoal and firewood to modern energy cooking technologies.
Under this arrangement, the Modern Energy Cooking Services (MECS) programbacked by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Officewill join forces with clean cooking suppliers to assist institutions in adopting cleaner energy sources.
Speaking at the Kenya International Investment Conference 2026 in Nairobi, Nyamolo Abagi, Director of Clean Energy Access at CLASP and CLASP/MECS Programme Lead, highlighted that traditional cooking methods present significant health and environmental hazards, including indoor air pollution and heat stress for cooks.
“This collaboration represents the dignity of cooks in our institutions. They diligently prepare meals for students daily. We have invested years in building evidence and market systems to make clean cooking accessible,” stated Abagi.
Makueni Governor Mutula Kilonzo expressed enthusiasm for the partnership, emphasizing that clean cooking offers substantial opportunities for the county, which has already allocated Sh157 million to solar energy initiatives.
He noted that Makueni has prepared the foundation through the County Energy Plan (2023–2032), Energy Policy 2025, and pilot clean cooking programs in institutions.
“We understand what can be achieved when appropriate partners collaborate. This alliance with MECS and CLASP focuses on transforming that commitment into widespread implementation while reducing the fuel costs that burden our institutions and creating skilled employment opportunities for our youth in the clean energy sector,” the governor explained.
Stakeholder advocacy
The agreement emerges as stakeholders advocate for expanding clean cooking in facilitiesan domain that experts claim has been disregarded despite the heavy dependence on biomass fuels.
Throughout sub-Saharan Africa, hundreds of thousands of schools, healthcare facilities, and training centers continue to rely on firewood and charcoal.
The signing also coincides with the introduction of Kenya’s first Institutional Clean Cooking Sector Pack, which identifies a KSh72 billion ($559 million) investment potential to transition more than 100,000 institutions serving 12.6 million people to modern cooking solutions.
Governor Kilonzo further mentioned that the partnership will facilitate the adoption of cleaner, more efficient technologies while reinforcing market systems for sustainable energy utilization in the public sector.
Deputy President Kithure Kindiki encouraged enhanced collaboration between private and public sectors to stimulate investment, noting that partnerships are essential to unlocking Kenya’s economic capabilities.
“The government is prioritizing Public-Private Partnerships to address financing gaps in critical sectors including energy, infrastructure, and manufacturing because governmental resources alone cannot satisfy the nation’s development requirements,” stated Prof Kindiki.
He added that the government is striving to establish a more predictable policy and regulatory landscape to attract both domestic and international investors, positioning Kenya as a regional investment destination through ongoing reforms designed to improve business facilitation and increase transparency in public projects.