James Ndung’u

In many rural areas in Kenya, charcoal, firewood and biomass remain the commonly used fuel sources for cooking. And while everybody gladly joins the dinner table, fuel collection and the related labor chores are left to women and girls. This project was done in Limuru sub-county, Kiambu county, Kenya and sough to investigate the implications of energy poverty at the community and household level, especially the social and developmental effects on women. These included unpaid domestic work in terms of hours spent in fuel collection, primary and secondary fuel use options, and barriers to access. With community-based organizations as well as women, youth and self-help groups being a key social and economic feature in the area, the research also sought to find out how many of the community members belonged to one or more groups, and how these groups can be used to advance both the sustainable development agenda. On the whole, the study was also anchored around Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 1 (No Poverty), 5 (Gender Equality) and 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy). A total of 373 household surveys were administered.