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Coordinated and published by The Grassroots Institute, the Grassroots Journal of Natural Resources (GJNR) is an international journal dedicated to the latest advancements in natural resources throughout the world. The goal of this journal is to provide a platform for scientists, social scientists, policy analysts, managers and practitioners (on all academic and professional levels) all over the world to promote, discuss and share various new issues and developments in different arenas of natural resources.
Lilian Nyambura Gakuhi*1, Jane Mutune2, Bessy Kathambi3, James Kinyua4, Linda Obiero5,
Peter Minang6
1Department of Earth and Climate Sciences, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya.
Email: liliannyambura624@gmail.com ǀ ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4552-468X
2Department of Earth and Climate Sciences, University of Nairobi, Nairobi; Kenya’ World Agroforestry, ICRAF, Nairobi, Kenya. Email: janemm@uonbi.ac.ke | ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6243-4168
3Department of Earth and Climate Sciences, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya.
Email: bessyk@uonbi.ac.ke ǀ ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8826-2798
4World Agroforestry, ICRAF, Nairobi, Kenya. Email: jameskinyuagitau@gmail.com
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2636-908X
5Department of Earth and Climate Sciences, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya.
Email: linda.obiero@uonbi.ac.ke ǀ ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3413-5651
6World Agroforestry, ICRAF, Nairobi, Kenya. Email: A.Minang@cifor-icraf.org
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0001-1812-0153
*Corresponding author
Grassroots Journal of Natural Resources, 8(3): 242-291. Doi: https://doi.org/10.33002/nr2581.6853.080311
Received: 10 October 2025
Reviewed: 21 November 2025
Provisionally Accepted: 25 November 2025
Revised: 28 November 2025
Finally Accepted: 30 November 2025
Published: 31 December 2025
Women, particularly in rural areas, play a central role in energy procurement for household cooking, making their perspectives critical for effective energy transitions. This study examines the socio-economic factors and preferences that shape clean cooking technology preferences in Lari, Kiambu County, with a focus on women's roles and gender equity. Findings reveal that approximately 70% of women are directly involved in fuelwood collection, highlighting their critical, yet undervalued, contribution to household energy provisioning. Despite the availability of cleaner options, 97% of households used both cleaner stoves and traditional firewood, driven by cost constraints and the need to optimize cooking efficiencies. Although health risks associated with traditional cooking methods were widely acknowledged, economic and socio-cultural constraints continue to impede full transition to cleaner energy options. Statistical analysis indicates that households engaged in agroforestry practices were associated with higher ICS utilization (Pearson’s r 0.281, P=0.05). Furthermore, the age of the household head (β = 3.5, P = 0.015), the primary source of household income(β = 2.575, P = 0.020) and membership in social organizations (β = 1.337, P = 0.049) were identified as significant influencers of fuel preference and utilization. Women in rural settings preferred cooking stoves that are fast, easy to use, ensure family bonding during cooking, while accommodating pots suited to the household's size and fuel-efficiency, reflecting women's specific needs and practical considerations. Overall, the study emphasizes the persistent invisibility of women’s labour in fuelwood collection and calls for gender-responsive clean cooking interventions that tackle economic barriers, address socio-cultural norms, and recognize the centrality of women’s roles in household energy systems.
Gender equity; Clean cooking technologies; Household energy preferences; Socio-economic factors; Rural Kenya
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Gakuhi, L.N., Mutune, J., Kathambi, B., Kinyua, J., Obiero, L. and Minang, P. (2025). Gendered Patterns Influenced by Socio-Economic Factors in Clean Cooking Technology Preferences in Rural Kenya in Lari, Kiambu County. Grassroots Journal of Natural Resources, 8(3): 242-291. Doi: https://doi.org/10.33002/nr2581.6853.080311
Gakuhi, L.N., Mutune, J., Kathambi, B., Kinyua, J., Obiero, L., & Minang, P. (2025). Gendered Patterns Influenced by Socio-Economic Factors in Clean Cooking Technology Preferences in Rural Kenya in Lari, Kiambu County. Grassroots Journal of Natural Resources, 8(3), 242-291. https://doi.org/10.33002/nr2581.6853.080311
Gakuhi L.N., Mutune J., Kathambi B., Kinyua J., Obiero L., Minang P. Gendered Patterns Influenced by Socio-Economic Factors in Clean Cooking Technology Preferences in Rural Kenya in Lari, Kiambu County. Grassroots Journal of Natural Resources, 2025, 8 (3), 242-291. https://doi.org/10.33002/nr2581.6853.080311
Gakuhi, Lilian Nyambura, Mutune, Jane, Kathambi, Bessy, Kinyua, James, Obiero, Linda, Minang, Peter. 2025. “Gendered Patterns Influenced by Socio-Economic Factors in Clean Cooking Technology Preferences in Rural Kenya in Lari, Kiambu County”. Grassroots Journal of Natural Resources, 8 no. 3: 242-291. https://doi.org/10.33002/nr2581.6853.080311
Gakuhi, Lilian Nyambura, Jane Mutune, Bessy Kathambi, James Kinyua, Linda Obiero and Peter Minang. 2025. “Gendered Patterns Influenced by Socio-Economic Factors in Clean Cooking Technology Preferences in Rural Kenya in Lari, Kiambu County”. Grassroots Journal of Natural Resources, 8 (3): 242-291. https://doi.org/10.33002/nr2581.6853.080311
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