By Ken Muthomi - Reporter
Kenya, June 24, 2026 - The State Department for Correctional Services has announced plans to transition all 134 prisons, nine probation institutions, and aftercare institutions in the country from biomass-based cooking to clean energy technologies.
This was revealed during a meeting held on Wednesday between Principal Secretary Salome Beacco and the technical working group on transitioning to clean energy.
The plan is set to be completed within the next year and will be executed in four phases. Mobilisation and baseline studies will cover the first phase before infrastructure development commences.
Among the technologies being strongly considered are LPG-powered steam technology—a highly efficient clean energy system that uses a central LPG source to boil water and distribute high-pressure steam to cooking appliances—as well as solar energy and biogas.
"The department is banking on the National Treasury to fund the transition plan with an injection of KSh 300 million, while partners and stakeholders are expected to cover possible funding gaps, including capacity building," the department stated.
The department added that it is in the process of scrutinising other clean cooking technologies to determine the most efficient energy source for correctional facilities.
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It further noted that it will benchmark other government institutions that have already implemented the programme through the Kenya School LPG Programme, including some public boarding schools and TVET institutions.
The technical working group comprises representatives from several government agencies and partners, including the State Departments for Petroleum, Energy, and Environment, the State Law Office, NEMA, the Directorate of Occupational Safety and Health Services, Public Investment, and KEBS.
PS Beacco noted that the transition will be fundamental in addressing the effects of climate change and boosting the government's plan to plant 15 billion trees, with correctional facilities among the biggest users of wood fuel in the country for institutional cooking.
"It also plans to tap into available carbon credit financing opportunities, including the Building Climate Resilience with the Urban Poor (BCRUP), a global initiative established under a UN mandate to protect vulnerable urban communities," the department stated.