500,000 Homes Earmarked to Receive Ruto’s Subsidized Cooking Gas Cylinders in 4-Yr Plan

The government has unveiled an ambitious plan to distribute cooking gas cylinders to 500,000 low-income households in the country by 2028.

In the National Reporting Indicator Handbook for the newly launched Fourth Medium Term Plan (MTP IV) 2023-2027, it was highlighted that the distribution of the gas cylinders promised by President William Ruto would begin in the current financial year.

According to the plan, 100,000 cylinders will be distributed by July 1, 2024.

The government also revealed that an additional 100,000 cylinders will be delivered to low-income households in the 2024/2025 Financial Year.

The remaining 300,000 will also be distributed in batches of 100,000 for each financial year between July 2025 and July 2028.

Notably, apart from the gas cylinders, the government will also distribute various accessories including burners.

Earlier, Energy Cabinet Secretary David Chirchir noted that the government will also be introducing different sizes for the gas cylinders explaining that most Kenyans still find difficulty in refilling 6kg cylinders which many Kenyans use.

“A lot of those cylinders in past programs were 6 kg and it was not going to people living below the line. We will take the lessons we learned on mwananchi gas and use them to support the new gas strategy for the people living below the line ,” the CS stated.

Meanwhile, it was also revealed that the government would also roll out a similar program for schools that often use firewood.

Under the National Liquefied Petroleum Gas Enhancement, 5,000 public boarding learning institutions will be provided with clean cooking gas infrastructure.

100 of similar facilities are set to be provided to schools by July 1.

The LPG program was announced by President William Ruto in March 2023. At the time, the Head of State explained that the program would ensure that Kenyans get access to clean energy and conserve the environment at the same time.