Beyond Irrigation: Turning sunlight into supper for Kenya’s women and farmers

The report details a randomized control trial (RCT) involving 242 SunCulture customers in Kenya to test whether providing free electric pressure cookers (EPCs) powered by solar irrigation batteries could reduce reliance on polluting fuels. The pilot found that while EPCs are feasible and generally liked, their adoption is hindered by intra-household gender dynamics—where men typically control battery use while women control cooking—and competition with other appliances like televisions. Although the intervention increased EPC usage by 49 percentage points, the impact on displacing traditional fuels like firewood and charcoal was not statistically significant, likely due to the availability of LPG among the relatively wealthier study participants. The authors recommend integrating secondary-use mechanisms into solar irrigation programs, redirecting LPG subsidies toward e-cooking, and developing 'priority ports' to ensure energy is allocated to cooking.

• The pilot demonstrated that using solar irrigation power for electric cooking is feasible, with the distribution of free electric pressure cookers increasing the probability of usage by 49 percentage points in the treatment group compared to the control group.
• While the intervention showed a trend toward reducing the use of dirty fuels by 4.8 percentage points, these results, along with the reduction in firewood and charcoal use, did not reach statistical significance.
• Intra-household gender dynamics act as a barrier to adoption; women typically make decisions regarding cooking (in about 80% of households), but men primarily control the use of the solar battery (in 80% of households).
• Electric pressure cookers compete for limited battery power with other secondary-use appliances, most notably televisions, which are more popular than the cookers.
• The study participants were relatively well-off compared to the general rural population, making them more likely to have access to LPG, which may have diluted the observed impact of the electric pressure cookers.
• Baseline data indicates a high willingness to pay for electric pressure cookers, with 79% of respondents willing to pay KSH 3,000 (approximately USD 23).
• There is a significant opportunity for scaling this model in Kenya, where approximately 35,500 solar water pumps are currently in operation.

APA

Mani, S., Laan, T., Keller, F., Anami, C., & Aklin, M. (2026). Beyond Irrigation: Turning sunlight into supper for Kenya’s women and farmers. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2026-02/beyond-irrigation-solar-power-kenya.pdf

Chicago

Mani, Sunil, Tara Laan, Franziska Keller, Cliff Anami, and Michaël Aklin. Beyond Irrigation: Turning sunlight into supper for Kenya’s women and farmers. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2026. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2026-02/beyond-irrigation-solar-power-kenya.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Mani |first1=Sunil |last2=Laan |first2=Tara |last3=Keller |first3=Franziska |last4=Anami |first4=Cliff |last5=Aklin |first5=Michaël |title=Beyond Irrigation: Turning sunlight into supper for Kenya’s women and farmers |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=February 2026 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2026-02/beyond-irrigation-solar-power-kenya.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{mani2026beyond, author = {Mani, Sunil and Laan, Tara and Keller, Franziska and Anami, Cliff and Aklin, Michaël}, title = {{Beyond Irrigation: Turning sunlight into supper for Kenya’s women and farmers}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2026}, month = feb, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2026-02/beyond-irrigation-solar-power-kenya.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }