STATE DEPARTMENT FOR CORRECTIONAL SERVICES COMMENCE RESOURCE MOBILIZATION FOR CLEAN ENERGY COOKING

By Nicholas Kigondu

The State Department for Correctional Services has commenced green and climate finance resource mobilization in its quest to fully transition to clean energy cooking within the next one year.

The transition, to be adopted across all correctional facilities both for Kenya Prisons Service and Probation and Aftercare Service, will involve exploration of the various clean cooking technologies to identify the most efficient energy mix.

Speaking on Tuesday during a meeting with the technical working group on transitioning to clean energy, Principal Secretary Dr. Salome Beacco said the department plans to adopt a rapid results initiative model that will ensure all the correctional institutions transition from wood fuel to clean energy over the next one year, a shift that is aligned with the government's climate agenda.

The options under consideration include the use of Liquefied Petroleum Gas, biogas, solar-powered stoves as well as integrated steam cooking technologies.

Among the presentations made to the group on Tuesday included one by the State Department for petroleum on Kenya’s School LPG programme that has been implemented in some public boarding schools and TVET institutions, solar cook stoves by ECOBORA as well as integrated steam cooking by IGNIS, as it sought to leverage on best practices and reduce on the cost of implementation.

The department is banking on treasury to fund the transition plan with an injection of 300 million shillings while partners and stakeholders are expected to take care of possible funding gaps including capacity building.

It also plans to tap into available carbon credit financing opportunities including the Building Climate Resilience with the Urban Poor (BCRUP), a global initiative established under a UN mandate to protect vulnerable urban communities.