THE BARRIERS TO ADOPTION OF CLEAN COOKING TECHNOLOGY: A CASE STUDY OF PAY-AS-YOU-GO LPG IN NAIROBI, KENYA

Abstract Over 85% of sub-Saharan Africa relies on polluting fuels for household energy, hindering progress toward the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG 7). Progress on transitioning households from polluting fuels to clean alternatives is slow. In Kenya, pay-as-you-go (PAYG) smart meter LPG (MGas Ltd) addresses affordability by eliminating upfront costs for equipment and enabling small increment fuel purchases using mobile money. However, suboptimal use of the technology has been observed when using polluting fuels concurrently, failing to realize the health and environmental benefits that can be achieved through exclusive clean cooking with LPG. A qualitative study was therefore conducted in the Nairobi Metropolitan region to explore the drivers of stacking among users of MGas. Eighteen MGas customers were purposively sampled (informal, urban, and peri-urban) based on fuel usage reported by the company (star (>3kg p/m), stacker (1-3kg p/m), and edge (<1kg p/m) levels. They participated in semi-structured interviews by trained researchers. Fuel stacking drivers were identified and categorized using a taxonomy integrated with the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF) and the Capability Motivation Opportunity (COM-B) model. A hybrid qualitative approach was employed, starting with deductive analysis for coding according to the specified taxonomy. Inductive analysis, linked narratives to themes. Affordability and dietary patterns were universal themes, cited by all participants. The study identified five novel drivers, expanding the taxonomy to 66: (1) mobile money transaction fee barriers; (2) limited knowledge on debt recovery; (3) poor network and system synchronization; (4) lack of sound alerts nearing completion of the token and poor heat retention; and (5) unpleasing initial adoption odors. In conclusion, while the PAYG model successfully mitigates high upfront costs, other factors sustain fuel stacking. To achieve the goals of SDG 7, clean cooking interventions must move beyond financial accessibility to address specific user-interface design and the thermal requirements of local dietary staples.