KOKO FUEL LAUNCHED IN NAIROBI

KOKO Networks, an international technology company that is mainstreaming clean bio-ethanol cooking fuel in Kenya has launched KOKO fuel – a clean, safe and affordable liquid ethanol cooking fuel solution. It is being dispensed from “KOKOpoint” smart fuel automated teller machines (ATMs) located in seven hundred shops across the city.  The company also unveiled its new two-burner KOKO cooker at an event attended by Eng. Joseph Njoroge, the Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Energy.

PS Njoroge commended KOKO for the launch of its network, highlighting the important role such solutions play in supporting the Government of Kenya’s policy objective of enabling the local households to have an   access to  100% clean cooking fuel  as opposed to  harmful fuels such as charcoal and kerosene.“I’m very happy to witness the launch of KOKO fuel.  It is truly an exciting and innovative cooking solution, with no harmful emissions,” he said.

The fuel is an alternative solution to charcoal and paraffin, which are unsafe and used extensively by Kenyans.  Traditional wood, charcoal and kerosene fuels are the leading cause of indoor air pollution in Kenya, claiming more than 21,000 lives every year.  This translates to more than 400 lives every week, many of whom are children under the age of five years.  This places a big strain on our health system.  At the same time, deforestation from unsustainable charcoal practices drives changes in our country’s rainfall patterns, negatively impacting on our agricultural yields.  Consequently, by responsibly managing the transition from charcoal, we can improve our food security.

Network

KOKO’s agent network extends across greater Nairobi providing access to KOKOpoints within a short walk from the customers’ homes. Its technology and approach delivers major cost efficiencies and removes the need for disposable plastic bottles, enabling KOKO Fuel to be accessed affordably by households whose budgets have been hit hard by the ever increasing kerosene and charcoal prices.

Customers use smart canisters that dock with KOKOpoints, which then dispense fuel they have pre-purchased by topping up their KOKO accounts with M-Pesa.  They then take their smart canister home to dock into their KOKO cooker, a modern, high-power 2-burner ethanol stove that delivers affordable cooking energy, safely and conveniently.

“KOKO’s technology offers clean heat and modern living which is delivered affordably,” said Ms. Leila Ibrahim, Koko’s chief customer officer during the event. KOKO fuel is delivered in partnership with Vivo Energy Kenya – the company which owns and operates Shell-branded fuels distribution infrastructure in Kenya – ensuring a reliable supply of high-quality fuel, in line with international safety standards.