The government has launched a nationwide data collection exercise that will guide investments in clean cooking technologies for public learning institutions as part of efforts to expand the National School Meals Programme while advancing environmental sustainability and climate resilience. The initiative, spearheaded by the National Council for Nomadic Education in Kenya (NACONEK), will gather school-specific information to support the rollout of climate-smart cooking technologies and develop Kenya's first National Investment Pipeline for institutional clean cooking.
The National School Meals Programme currently serves about 2.6 million learners, particularly in Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASALs), urban informal settlements and other vulnerable communities. Yussuf, NACONEK CEO, noted that while Kenya has made significant progress in expanding access to clean cooking over the past decade, nearly 70 percent of the population still relies on traditional fuels such as firewood and charcoal.
"This continued dependence has far-reaching implications for public health, environmental sustainability and climate resilience. Unless investment and implementation are significantly accelerated, Kenya, like many other African countries, is unlikely to achieve universal access to clean cooking by 2030," he said. He observed that beyond environmental degradation caused by large-scale biomass consumption, expenditure on cooking fuel accounts for a significant share of school operational budgets, diverting resources that could otherwise be invested in learning materials, infrastructure and other educational priorities. Officials say expanding the school meals programme will require a complete transformation of how meals are prepared. Many public schools continue to rely on firewood, exposing cooks to harmful smoke, contributing to deforestation, increasing fuel costs and slowing meal preparation
Source: The Standard Kenya
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