More than 90% of rural Kenyan schools still rely on firewood for cooking. Nationally, over 250 tons of firewood are consumed annually by boarding schools alone, according to 2024 data from the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI). The result? Thousands of cooks and students across the country, including in counties like Kwale, are exposed daily to smoke levels that exceed World Health Organization (WHO) safety limits.
And yet, despite these glaring numbers, most school kitchens in Kwale still operate under a blackened iron roof, fueled by chopped trees and choking smoke.
Smoke Levels in Kenyan Schools exceed WHO limits
Dr. James Mwitari, a senior research fellow in Environmental Health and Epidemiology at KEMRI and Co-Director of Clean Air Africa, warns that these conditions are not just outdated—they’re dangerous. “We’re seeing school kitchens producing PM 2.5 pollutants far above safe levels,” he says. This puts cooks, children, and teachers at risk of lung disease, cardiovascular illness, and even school absenteeism.
Air quality sensors in parts of Kenya have consistently showed PM2.5 levels, which exceed WHO limits. Studies have shown that PM2.5 levels in school kitchens, as well as classrooms and among cooks, can be significantly higher than the WHO’s recommended 24-hour average.
With Kenya racing toward its ambitious 2028 target of 100% clean cooking access, Kwale’s continued dependence on biomass raises serious questions. Why are so few schools preparing to adopt cleaner alternatives like LPG or solar cooking? And more importantly, what can be done now to reverse the trend?
Schools, often operating on tight budgets and serving hundreds of boarding students daily, have become heavy consumers of firewood, with the KEMRI reporting that boarding schools need up to 250 tons of firewood annually to meet their cooking energy needs. The WHO estimates indicate 360 tons of firewood annually. The result is predictable and alarming: forest degradation, indoor air pollution, and chronic health issues for kitchen staff and students alike.
A Daily Dose of Smoke
In a recent technical survey that Miale Solar and KCB conducted in at least 14 Kwale schools, the reality was glaring. Nearly all kitchens surveyed still used firewood. Cooks worked in thick smoke, many without protective gear. In one school, the head cook admitted to suffering from persistent eye irritation.
Dr. James Mwitari raised the alarm during a recent press briefing.
“The vision of transitioning schools to clean cooking by end of 2025 is achievable with collaborative arrangements such as this,” he said, referring to recent public-private sector initiatives. “”Ninety per cent of schools are using wood fuel to run their kitchens and these kitchens there are cooks there who are staying there for very many hours, we have children who are being exposed in their classrooms as well as in the dormitories and the playgrounds.”
These put cooks, children, and teachers at risk of pulmonary and cardiovascular diseases.”
He also pointed out a little-discussed impact of biomass smoke: school absenteeism and poor cognitive performance among children. “This isn’t just an environmental issue,” Dr. Mwitari emphasized. “It’s a public health emergency.”
Why Clean Cooking Matters Now
Kenya has set an ambitious but necessary goal: 100% access to clean cooking by 2028. In its latest Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) to the UNFCCC, the country committed to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by 35% by 2035, a reduction of over 72 million tons of CO2 equivalent. Clean cooking technologies, including solar and LPG, are central to that effort.
But the push isn’t just about numbers. It’s about human lives.
“Clean cooking sits at the heart of Kenya’s broader development agenda,” says Collins Situma, clean cooking engineer at Miale Solar. “It touches on health, education, climate, and gender equality. When you walk into a school that has adopted LPG or solar cooking like, for instance, Kenswed Secondary, the cooks are happy with their environment. They can breathe. That’s dignity.”
Why LPG Isn’t Taking Root in Kwale
Still, the transition to Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) has been slow, especially in counties like Kwale. Many schools remain wary of switching to LPG, citing rising global fuel prices and the risk of recurrent costs. Some schools that had started transitioning later reverted to wood due to the cost of refilling cylinders.
“LPG is clean, yes. But we had to cook beans with gas, the cylinder won’t last that long,” says a school cook in Gholini Mixed Secondary School in Kwale. “We would still have to pre-cook with firewood and only use gas to warm food. So, we stick to firewood.”
This hybrid approach of having gas and firewood is common across the country, particularly in schools across the Nyanza. It reflects the harsh economic realities of rural institutions. Fuel stacking, as experts call it, is a symptom of cost, not preference.
Miale Solar and KCB’s Green Lending Model as a Game Changer
Recognizing the urgency of the situation, Miale Solar has stepped forward with an innovative, solar-powered clean cooking solution tailor-made for schools in off-grid and semi-grid areas like Kwale. Unlike LPG, which relies on external supply chains, Miale’s solar cooking systems offer free, abundant energy once installed and are virtually maintenance-free for years. The equipment comes with reliable battery storage.
In partnership with Miale Solar and Mwalimu Express, KCB offers schools an accessible financing model. Under the agreement, KCB offers collateral-free green loans at an annual interest rate of 9.75 percent to eligible schools for a maximum of 7 years. Public schools can access as much as Ksh20 million in financiering. Private schools can get ksh10 million.
The longer schools wait to transition, the steeper the cost becomes. It’s not just about finances; it’s about student health, teacher wellbeing, and academic outcomes. Black soot on kitchen walls might seem normal now, but it is a sign of toxic air. This is an invisible burden on learners and staff.
Already, studies are linking indoor air pollution in schools to poor attention spans, missed school days, and even long-term respiratory damage.
If the Ministry of Education is serious about aligning with the Presidential Decree on Clean Cooking by 2028, then counties like Kwale need to act fast and leverage the support structures already in place.
Schools Have the Power to Lead
Clean cooking is no longer a dream. It’s a working reality in counties that have embraced county-level energy planning and partnered with private sector players like Miale Solar. But adoption isn’t just about installing stoves, it’s about leadership, awareness, and courage.
There are over 41 secondary schools in Kwale. Each school spends about US$30,000 year on firewood, on average, according to Africa Research & Impact Network (ARIN). Schools can from 250 to 360 tons of firewood annually, which causes a lot of emissions from the kitchen.
Also, the kitchen staff spend as much as 15 hours preparing meals, leading to inefficiencies. Cooks will have more time to spend with their families and the amount of emissions produced will be cut by at least 50% when once solar cookers are installed. As a result of a conducive learning atmosphere, students will have plenty of time to read and will also have room for inventiveness.
Kwale has a golden opportunity to be a model for others to show that decentralized, renewable energy solutions can work, even in remote areas.
And the stakes couldn’t be higher. Situma said, “Every day we delay, more children breathe in toxins that affect how they learn, how they grow, and how they live. That’s a cost we can no longer afford.”
A Call to Principals and Education Officers
Click the link to contact Miale Solar today to explore solar cooking solutions tailored for your school, or reach out to KCB to learn more about green financing for educational institutions.