The County Government of Kilifi through the Department of Lands, Energy, Housing, Physical Planning and Urban Development has distributed charcoal briquetting machines to Magarini Charcoal Producers Association and Mida Gatropha CBO with an aim of promoting the adoption and production of alternative charcoal in the county.
Governor Amason Kingi said this will ensure Kilifi charcoal producers oblige to the National government’s ban on charcoal burning since charcoal briquetting is an environmental friendly exercise which produces less smoke and can easily mitigate the effects of climatic change.
"Also, charcoal briquetting requires easily accessible raw materials thereby minimising cost of production," he said on Monday.
He said the project will not only create employment for youth and women groups but also act as a source of revenue to the County through licensing the production and distribution process.
The County Government is also coming up with the Kilifi County Charcoal Briquettes Cooperative which will be in charge of marketing, quality control and branding of the charcoal briquettes produce.
It is envisaged that the cooperative will be buying the briquettes directly from all producers in the county and resell products to the industrial market and to the neighbouring counties including Mombasa.
The County Government has also already made deliberate plans to add seven more briquetting machines which will be distributed countywide to maximise production to boost earnings, ensure daily subsistence and start other viable enterprises.
The ban on charcoal burning has affected residents across the coastal strip who widely majored on charcoal for cooking, thus need for new charcoal production means.
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