Assessing Contribution of Improved Cook Stoves in Reducing Woodfuel Consumption in Kenya, Case Study of Public Secondary Schools in Machakos County

Abstract

The motive of this research was to assess the contribution of improved cook stoves in reducing wood fuel consumption in Kenya, the case of public secondary schools in Machakos County. There has been a significant shift in the use of biomass fuel due to the increased level of poverty. Household consumption of biomass has risen to 83% in 2020 from 73% in 1980. Charcoal and firewood take up as the main source of fuel especially in Kenyan schools, hospitals, hotels and prisons. Firewood is increasingly supplied from smallholder lands and farm woodlots. There is more than 90% supply of biomass for the rural household consumption as the demand hits close to 70%. Presently, development of biomass energy is the subject matter ascribed to diminishing worldwide fossil fuels resources and escalating fuel prices. The demand for biomass energy has an annual growth of about 2.7% as the available sustainable provision has an increase rate of 0.6%. Schools are one of the bulk consumers of wood fuel and therefore there is need to have a sustainable solution to the high wood fuel consumption like adoption of the improved cook stoves. The demand for the wood fuel is high leading to deforestation thus its implications which include floods, soil erosion, loss of biodiversity and exposure to desertification. The objectives that steered this research included; to determine the adoption rate of the energy saving stoves, to assess the rate of wood fuel consumption and to determine factors influencing choice of cook stove by public secondary schools in Machakos County. Data was collected from a stratified sample of 80 secondary schools in Machakos County using survey questionnaire. Data from qualitative interviews and observation complemented questionnaire data. The hypothesis was tested using Chi-Square test. The collected data was analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) and presented by use of descriptive statistics such as tables, Charts, Graphs and Diagrams. The study findings revealed that modern cook stoves are energy efficient and their use results into a significant reduction in the amount of wood fuel consumption compared to the traditional cook stoves. The findings also showed that over 90% of the secondary schools in Machakos County were already using modern improve cook stoves as one way of reducing the use of wood fuel. In addition, the study revealed that the adoption rate of the improved cook stoves was moderate at 50% and was determined majorly by socio –economic factors such as availability of funds, type of school (boarding or day), number of students, type and number of meals prepared on daily basis. The study therefore concluded that secondary schools in Machakos County are adopting the use of modern cook stoves because they have been found to be energy efficient and using them resulted into a significant reduction in the amount of wood fuel consumption compared to the traditional cook stoves. Based on the findings and conclusion, the study recommended to the managements and the stakeholders of all the secondary schools in Machakos County that they should strive to acquire the improved cook stoves as one way of reducing wood fuel consumption; in so doing the implication of deforestation will be contained.