Mukuru: Safer Stoves and Fuels

Mukuru Clean Stoves

Mukuru: Safer Stoves and Fuels

Empowering communities with affordable, cookstoves and fuels that cut carbon emissions, reduce indoor air pollution, and enhance energy efficiency.

Homa Bay, Kenya

KEN

Hybrid of for-profit and nonprofit

Mukuru Clean Stoves is tackling household air pollution and energy poverty, two interlinked crises affecting underserved communities across Africa. In sub-Saharan Africa, over 950 million people rely on open fires and inefficient stoves, causing 4 million premature deaths annually, mostly women and children. Traditional cooking methods are the largest source of carbon emissions in Africa, worsening deforestation and climate change. Families earning $40-$100 per month spend up to one-third of their income on fuel, deepening poverty. Toxic fumes from inefficient stoves increase risks of respiratory diseases, burns, and cardiovascular illnesses. Mukuru Clean Stoves provides an affordable, fuel-efficient alternative, reducing fuel consumption by 60%, CO₂ emissions by up to 90%, and burn risks by 40%. Our mosquito-repellent fuel, made from recycled agricultural waste, also combats malaria—another leading cause of death in our communities. By scaling locally manufactured clean cooking technologies, we are reducing emissions, improving health, and creating economic opportunities for women and youth. Our model fosters financial independence, environmental sustainability, and climate action, ensuring that millions of families no longer have to choose between health, safety, and affordability.

Mukuru Clean Stoves provides an affordable, clean cooking solution by designing fuel-efficient stoves from recycled metal and producing mosquito-repellent briquettes from agricultural waste. Our stoves cut fuel consumption by 60%, CO₂ emissions by up to 90%, and cooking time by 50%, offering a cost-effective, health-conscious alternative for low-income households. Priced at $5 per unit, our stoves are accessible to underserved communities, while our $0.50/kg briquettes provide a smoke-free, malaria-fighting fuel option. We empower women entrepreneurs as last-mile distributors, ensuring widespread adoption and economic inclusion. By using recycled materials and local manufacturing, we keep costs low, create green jobs, and reduce environmental waste. Since 2017, we have sold over 600,000 stoves, impacting 3 million people and saving households $70 million in fuel costs. Our solution improves health by reducing indoor air pollution, lowers carbon footprints, and boosts financial independence for women. Through community-driven innovation, we are transforming clean cooking, combating malaria, and advancing environmental sustainability in Africa.

Mukuru Clean Stoves serves low-income households across Africa, particularly women and children, who face the greatest risks from household air pollution caused by inefficient cooking methods. Exposure to toxic smoke leads to respiratory diseases and premature deaths, while families spend up to a third of their income on fuel, worsening financial hardship. Our affordable, fuel-efficient stoves reduce smoke emissions, lower fuel consumption by 60%, and cut cooking time by 50%, improving health, economic stability, and quality of life. Women benefit the most, not just as end-users but also as entrepreneurs and manufacturers, earning sustainable incomes through our distribution network. By creating local jobs, particularly for women and youth, we foster financial independence and community resilience. Our solution also helps households save money, freeing up resources for education and income-generating activities. To date, we have distributed over 600,000 stoves, benefiting 3 million people, saving families $70 million in fuel costs, and preventing over 1 million tonnes of CO₂ emissions. Mukuru Clean Stoves is driving health, economic empowerment, and environmental sustainability, ensuring long-term impact in underserved communities.