KISII, Kenya Mar 30 – A non-profit organisation, Collaborative Labeling and Appliance Standards Program (CLASP) the Makueni County Government have signed a five-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to expand clean cooking solutions across public institutions, targeting more than 4,500 people in 63 vocational training centres.The agreement aims to accelerate the transition from polluting fuels such as firewood and charcoal to modern, energy-efficient cooking technologies.The initiative will be implemented under the Modern Energy Cooking Services Programme (MECS), funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, in collaboration with clean cooking technology suppliers.Speaking at the Kenya International Investment Conference 2026 in Nairobi, Nyamolo Abagi, Director of Clean Energy Access at CLASP and MECS Programme Lead, said the move is critical in addressing health and environmental risks linked to traditional cooking methods.“Traditional cooking affects both health and the environment, including indoor air pollution and heat stress faced by cooks in institutional kitchens,” said Abagi.“This partnership is about the dignity of cooks in our institutions. We spend years building evidence and market systems to make clean cooking affordable,” he added.Mutula Kilonzo Jr., Governor of Makueni, welcomed the partnership, describing clean cooking as a major opportunity for the county.He revealed that the county has already committed KSh157 million to solar energy investments and laid policy groundwork through the County Energy Plan (2023–2032) and Energy Policy 2025.“We know what is possible when the right partners show up. This partnership is about turning that commitment into scale, reducing fuel costs in our institutions, and creating jobs for young people in the clean energy sector,” said Kilonzo.The MoU comes amid growing efforts to scale clean cooking solutions in institutional settings, which experts say remain heavily reliant on biomass fuels across sub-Saharan Africa.The signing coincided with the launch of Kenya’s first Institutional Clean Cooking Sector Pack, which estimates a KSh72 billion ($559 million) investment opportunity to transition over 100,000 institutions serving 12.6 million people.The partnership is expected to support adoption of cleaner, more efficient technologies while strengthening sustainable energy markets in the public sector.Kithure Kindiki, Kenya’s Deputy President, emphasized the importance of collaboration between the public and private sectors in driving investments and economic growth.He noted that strategic partnerships are essential in unlocking Kenya’s full economic potential and accelerating sustainable development initiatives.