Kenya has been trying to regulate the charcoal sector: why it's not working

By Phosiso Sola, Scientist, World Agroforestry (ICRAF)
Paolo Omar Cerutti, Senior Scientist, Centre for International Forestry Research

In Kenya, charcoal has met more than 70% of the domestic energy demand for cooking and heating over decades, and is a major source of livelihood for hundreds of thousands of people in rural areas.

Charcoal is produced by burning wood under limited supply of oxygen, a process known as carbonisation. This carbon rich product is produced in kilns. Most kilns used in Kenya – and Africa in general – are very inefficient. Almost 10 tonnes of wood are used to produce a tonne of charcoal, which is a 10%

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