The eCooking Capacity Building & Market Development Programme (eCAP)

In parallel to the KNeCS, the eCooking Capacity Building & Market Development programme (eCAP) was implemented in partnership with Kenya Power to accelerate the electrification of cooking by developing a pipeline of market ready innovations and building capacity within Kenya Power.

Working under the United Kingdom Partnering for Accelerated Climate Transitions (UK PACT) programme to accelerate the uptake of electric cooking (eCooking) in Kenya, the work was also co-funded by Integrate 2 Zero and MECS.

Twelve separate projects addressed a range of issues to accelerate the electrification of cooking by developing a pipeline of market ready innovations and building capacity within Kenya Power. The projects are listed below, with links to their report.

List of eCAP projects:

Project	Implementing Partner	Summary
Consumer Financing for eCooking Appliances – Stima Loan	PowerPay	The viability of utility-enabled financing for eCooking appliances and eMobility was explored, along with the viability of extending Kenya Power’s existing Stima Loan product.
Digital Engagement	Jikoni Magic	Using multiplatform engagement with food bloggers & everyday cooks, this project highlights the aspirational solution of eCooking with energy-efficient appliances for Kenyan cooks.
Kenyanising International Appliances	Jikoni Magic	Utilising the insights from everyday Kenyan cooks, this project provides international appliance manufacturers of eCooking equipment insight into Kenyan cooking culture to benefit how they communicate functionality of their products to consumers.
Intersectoral Dialogue	Clean Cooking Association of Kenya (CCAK)	Bridging the gap between Kenya’s electricity access and clean cooking sectors, a range of activities were delivered in this project to highlight the benefits of eCooking and bring stakeholders together.
Kitchen Energy Audits	SCODE	The development, and piloting, of a methodology for supporting households, businesses, and institutions, to understand the potential impacts of electrifying kitchens. This project offers the consumer advice on how they could switch part, or all, of their cooking to electricity.
Urban Informal Settlements	Nuvoni Centre for Innovation Research	A market scoping study on eCooking opportunities in informal urban settlements in Nairobi to inform a market development intervention to promote access and usage of eCooking appliances to households and (food) businesses in Nairobi.
Scalable Feedback Mechanisms	KPLC’s Institute of Energy Studies & Research (IESR)	Scalable feedback mechanisms will develop an understanding of the contribution of eCooking to demand stimulation within Kenya Power. This will enable them to make evidence-based decisions and adapt their approach to meet an increasing demand.
Institutional eCooking	KPLC’s Institute of Energy Studies & Research (IESR)	The trialling of 60L eCooking devices in the Institute for Energy Studies and Research’s (ISER) canteen shows the benefits of these appliances. With a live feed on energy use, staff and interested stakeholders can see the benefits of cooking on these appliances.
Mobile Demonstration Kitchen	Kenya Power and Lighting Company (KPLC)	A mobile demonstration kitchen will enable the Pika na Power team to deliver live cooking demonstrations across the country. Refitting an existing Kenya Power van with a power supply, cooking equipment, and kitchen furnishings is the first stage of the demonstration plan.
Consumer Awareness for Utility-enabled Financing	Kenya Power and Lighting Company (KPLC)	The piloting of utility-enabled financing schemes raises consumer awareness on the convenience, cost and time savings of modern energy-efficient appliances, as well as highlighting the range of consumer financing options that can break down the high upfront cost of the appliance itself.
Appliance Comparisons (Appliance Testing)	Strathmore University and Kenya Power and Lighting Company (KPLC)	The data from this project (generated via a series of Controlled Cooking Tests (CCTs)), will enable an apples-to-apples comparison of different appliances to assess the relative costs and versatility across a range of commonly cooked Kenyan dishes.
Pika na Power Academy	KPLC’s Institute of Energy Studies & Research (IESR)	The Pika na Power Academy aims to bring together expertise from the clean cooking and electricity access sectors to empower eCooking Champions from across the country to establish sustainable eCooking initiatives in their local area.