The government has unveiled an ambitious plan to connect 10 million households to piped Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) by 2028.
The ambitious plan which involves partnership with the private sector is as part of efforts to accelerate the transition from traditional cooking fuels to cleaner and more affordable energy.
Speaking during the groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of a 30,000 metric-tonne LPG terminal by Asharami Synergy Kenya Limited in Changamwe, Mombasa County, Petroleum Principal Secretary Kello Harsama said the project will strengthen Kenya’s LPG storage and handling capacity, enhance supply chain resilience and expand access to cleaner energy across the country.
“By 2028, we want to ensure 10 million households have access to LPG in collaboration with the private sector. We want to make that a reality. We want to make Kenya self-sufficient in LPG,” Harsama said.
Energy ministry has been mandated to fast-track the transition of households from firewood and kerosene to LPG as part of the government’s broader clean cooking agenda.
According to the 2022 Demographic and Health Survey (DHS), 68.5% of the population equivalent to 9.1 million households still relies on traditional cooking fuel, of which 7.4 million households are in rural areas.
The LPG access plan also targets public schools where an estimate 11,000 still rely on firewood for cooking, a practice that contributes to environmental degradation and exacerbates the effects of climate change.
Asharami Synergy Kenya Limited Managing Director Bayo Sotomi said the new terminal is expected to be completed within 18 months.
“The Government is working towards making LPG more accessible and affordable to citizens across the country through policy interventions, private sector investment and the development of essential infrastructure. This project reaffirms the importance of public-private collaboration in advancing the development of critical LPG infrastructure in Kenya,” said Sotomi.
National LPG Growth Strategy is also being strengthened by Kenya Pipeline Company Limited’s (KPC) LPG import, storage and handling facility currently being constructed at the Kenya Petroleum Refineries Limited (KPRL) site in Changamwe.
Other LPG projects include 25,000MT LPG terminal operated by AGOL, 30,000mt facility being developed by Taifa Gas at the Dongo Kundu Special Economic Zone and Lake Gas which has completed its 10,000MT LPG terminal in Kilifi County.
The entry of Sahara Group into the market is also expected to strengthen the country’s efforts to achieve universal access to clean cooking gas under the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda.
