NAIROBI, Kenya – President William Ruto has directed the Ministry of Education to ensure the installation of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) gas tanks in all schools and TVET institutions.
The head of state further ordered the Ministry of Energy and Petroleum to facilitate the process, enabling the private sector to roll out the program within one year.
This was after he called on the private sector to support the government’s cooking gas program for public learning institutions.
Who will fund the LPG program in learning institutions
President Ruto said the private sector will primarily fund the project. He pointed out that the goal is to ensure that the institutions have access to clean energy.
“We will buy gas from them, and they will be required to install all the LPG tanks and other infrastructure in our schools and other facilities,” he said.
President Ruto spoke at Jamhuri High School in Nairobi when the LPG Program for public educational institutions was commissioned.
According to the president, the program seeks to mitigate the effects of climate change by encouraging the use of gas rather than firewood and charcoal.
“We are launching a government project that will ensure 11,000 schools in the country are connected to gas to end the use of firewood and charcoal,” he said.
Why the newly launched LPG program is essential to Kenya
The president pointed out that the program provides a win-win outcome: conserving trees, ensuring clean energy, and improving health outcomes.
“Now we can monitor transitioning all schools from using biomass, charcoal, and firewood to using clean gas,” he said.
He continued that the program will help the government achieve its goal of planting 15 billion trees by reducing the number of trees cut down for fuel.
President Ruto added that Kenyans’ continued tree-cutting will make the scheme fail.
How environmentalist Isaac Kalua reacted to the move
Reacting to the move, environmentalist Isaac Kalua Green said President Ruto’s directive for all boarding schools to transition to LPG gas by the end of next year is commendable.
“This is a chance for the performance contracts recently signed by Cabinet and Principal Secretaries to deliver real results. Unfortunately, if the Ministry of Energy falters, the Ministry of Environment will bear the blame for continued deforestation,” said Kalua.
Kalua, an environmental advocate and chairperson of the Green Africa Foundation, said it’s everyone’s responsibility to ensure that Kenya moves from plan to action to provide cleaner, safer energy while easing the financial burden on parents.
Furthermore, President Ruto announced that the country would begin buying gas through an open tender system to ensure Kenyans access it at competitive prices.
“We plan to increase gas consumption from 6.5 kg to 15 kg per person per year and enhance the penetration of gas usage from the current 24% to 70%,” he said.
Why the government is working with the private sector
President Ruto said the government is working with the private sector to establish a common-user import facility at the Kenya Petroleum Refineries Ltd.
He explained that in implementing affordable energy solutions, the government has ensured every project includes an LPG ecosystem to enhance the partnership.
The president said zero-rated taxes on LPG have improved storage infrastructure nationwide, adding that addressing the volumes, sustainability, and affordability is critical for the sector’s growth.
He said the government has developed robust policies, regulations, and standards to ensure the sector’s growth while safeguarding health and safety.
“A thriving LPG sector promises significant economic benefits, including increased investment and job creation,” he said.
