Kenya is still regarded as one of Africa’s leaders in renewable energy, with around 90% of the nation’s electricity coming from renewable sources. However, while the country’s electricity system is among the cleanest in Africa, its school cooking sector relies heavily on traditional fuels.
In more than 46,000 primary and secondary schools across the country, over 90 per cent still rely on firewood to cook students’ daily meals. A typical boarding school uses over 250 tonnes of firewood each year, a collective demand that consumes millions of tonnes annually and greatly contributes to deforestation.
Roughly 90% of the 46,000 schools in Kenya still depend on firewood for cooking.
Miale Solar, a pioneer in clean cooking research and innovations, has consistently defended solar-powered clean cooking and solarization programs as the long-term school kitchen modernization solution. Despite increased interest from the government, banks, and solar energy providers, the transition has been slower and more complicated than anticipated.
Projected Opportunities
Miale Solar’s cross-section surveys across schools in Nairobi, Kajiado, Kiambu, Homa Bay, Kisii, and Kwale reveal that institutional cooking is one of the largest untapped opportunities in the country’s clean energy transition. Less than 2 percent of schools in these counties have transitioned.
Today, only about 2 percent of rural schools have transitioned.
Kenyan school kitchens alone use an estimated 6.9 million tonnes of firewood each year, costing about KSh15 billion annually. Miale Solar estimates that moving these schools to modern energy systems could create more than $100 million in yearly economic, environmental, and health benefits.
Beyond saving money, the environmental effects are significant. The demand for firewood from school kitchens leads to the cutting of over ten million trees each year. According to a Miale survey, institutions that have traditionally relied on cutting down their forests, such as Matuga Girls High School in Kwale and Kigari Teachers’ Training College in Embu, are considering shifting to solar cooking to reduce the number of trees felled.
The demand for firewood from school kitchens leads to the cutting of over 10 million trees each year
The health impacts are just as worrying. Most kitchen staff in schools visited anticipate a reduction in respiratory risks. Smoke from wood-burning kitchens creates particulate pollution that far exceeds World Health Organization guidelines, exposing cooks and students to respiratory risks.
Globally, around 2.1 billion people continue to cook using solid fuels (such as wood, agricultural waste, charcoal, coal, and dung) and kerosene in open fires and inefficient stoves. At present rates, just about 78% of the global population will have access to clean cooking by 2030. This gap would leave nearly 1.8 billion people without access to clean cooking options. Meanwhile, indoor air pollution from cooking fuels continues to cause 2.9 million deaths annually, highlighting the urgent need for improved access to clean cooking options to prevent these health risks.
Solar Cooking Gains Momentum
Recent technological breakthroughs are changing the way clean cooking solutions are adopted in major institutions. Traditional alternatives like LPG and biogas have already been implemented in some schools. Despite the School LPG Program being seen as a key driver of the demand, the country is still lagging in the adoption plan, with only 20 schools having installed the system as of June 2025. The slow uptake is associated with the prohibitive cost of LPG, forcing some of these schools to contemplate a changeover to solar-powered clean cooking. However, other schools are concerned that it would be a failing initiative, similar to LPG.
The prohibitive cost of LPG is driving schools to solar-powered cooking
Solar-powered electric cooking, on the other hand, is becoming increasingly popular since it allows schools to meet several energy needs at the same time. A pilot by Miale Solar at Kenswed Secondary School, also in Kajiado, revealed that solar cooking could reduce bean cooking time from six hours to 45 minutes. Miale Solar seeks to replicate Kenswed’s case experience nationally, as the solar-powered equipment is virtually maintenance-free. Unlike LPG, which needs refilling, Miale’s solar-powered clean cooking is an asset with no ongoing cost.
Unlike stand-alone cooking systems, solar arrays may power kitchens, lighting, water pumps, bakeries, posho mills, and administrative offices while lowering electricity expenses.
This broader concept, often known as school solarization, is gaining support among policymakers and financial institutions looking for integrated energy solutions for public schools. Some institutions like Kamwenja Teachers’ Training College even envision schools selling excess solar power back to the grid during holidays or weekends. Such opportunities will create additional revenue sources for institutions.
Financing Is Improving, but Still Complicated
Financial innovation plays a vital role in helping the clean cooking transition.
In Kenya, commercial banks and development partners are increasingly financing solar installations and clean cooking infrastructure in schools. One initiative led by KCB Group, a key Miale partner in the school clean cooking program, supports schools in adopting clean energy technologies through structured financing models.
These programs allow schools to access loans with relatively low interest rates of 9.75% and repayment periods of up to five years.
Schools can access loans with relatively low interest rates of 9.75% from KCB
In January 2026, industry participants attended a stakeholder conference at the KCB Leadership Centre to discuss plans to install solar cooking, LPG, biogas, and steam cooking systems in educational institutions. According to Eric Naivasha, the bank is in the process of helping integrate clean energy solutions into around 300 schools across Kenya.
But the ambition is far greater. KCB and its partners are targeting the transition of roughly 3,000 schools to clean energy by the end of 2026, part of a broader national shift affecting more than 40,000 learning institutions.
Yet, studies by Miale Solar reveal that financing alone has not solved the issue of adoption. Many school administrators are unaware of available funding options or the terms of the loans. Others are hesitant to commit their institutions to borrowing, especially without clear policy guidance from education authorities.
Awareness and Misconceptions
Miale observed that one of the main barriers is limited awareness among school leaders. This view is shared across the board.
Kennedy Odoyo, the CEO of Fervid Limited, observes that “energy companies working with schools find that many principals and boards of management still have misunderstandings about solar energy, especially regarding its reliability in cloudy or rainy weather.”
“In reality, modern systems usually include hybrid setups that combine grid electricity or battery storage to ensure reliability. However, these technologies are still new to many school administrators, and the technical details are often poorly understood,” Odoyo said.
This lack of knowledge slows down decision-making, particularly when boards of management must approve significant investments but lack enough technical information.
Decision-Making Delays Across Schools
Another challenge stems from the governance structure of Kenyan schools. Experiences by Miale Solar reveal that major infrastructure investments usually need approval from school boards during formal meetings. Since these boards often meet infrequently, the decision-making process can take several months.
School leaders often wait for official guidance from the Ministry of Education before committing to large-scale energy projects
Additionally, school leaders often wait for official guidance from the Ministry of Education before committing to large-scale energy projects. Without clear directives instructing schools to switch to clean energy technologies, many administrators prefer to hold off on action.
Beyond this, there is the cost question. Despite long-term savings, the upfront cost of solar cooking systems is still a concern. Large boarding schools need high-capacity cooking equipment and significant solar generation capacity to meet their daily energy needs.
Battery storage, which is necessary for solar systems to run at night, can considerably raise installation costs. As a result, many schools favor grid-tied solar systems that lower electricity bills while ensuring reliability, yet these schools expect power backup during blackouts. These add complexity to project development.
Technical and Data Challenges
As observed by Eng. Stephen Adwong’a, Miale Solar CEO, designing solar cooking systems for schools isn’t as simple as putting up rooftop panels.
“Energy demand varies based on student population, meal sizes, and cooking methods. Boys’ schools, for example, often need larger cooking capacity due to higher food consumption. Regional differences in diet and agricultural productivity can also influence system design,” Adwong’a explained.
According to Eng. Adwong’a, such technical and data challenges are likely to delay the uniform transition of schools to solar-powered clean cooking nationally.
He concluded that engineers need detailed site assessments and data collection to design systems accurately, a process that can delay project implementation.
