For many of Garissa residents, Mathenge (Prosopis juliflora) is a highly invasive plant that needs to be cleared off from their farms, but to this group of young locals, they have sought to give the invasive weed a new meaning by making environmentally friendly charcoal out of it.
The group of ten under the identity of Green Charcoal has been able to make safe fuel for use in indoor cooking and warming since it is smokeless.
Mohamed Abass, the brainchild behind the idea in an interview with this writer says locals have perceived the weed as a menace, but to him is an investment opportunity.
At the moment, the group produces the charcoal from Garissa County and thereafter transports some to the capital markets of Nairobi for sale.
They also have a rather big market in the hospitality industry in Garissa Town.
The technology exploited in the production of the briquettes largely differs from the traditional one in the sense that the Green Charcoal makes use of a kiln to generate methane gas, which is then used to carbonise the Mathenge briquettes, thus lowering emission of the poisonous gases.
Traditionally, charcoal burning involves covering the lit wood with soil that lead to incomplete combustion of the biomass, thereby emitting of the toxic carbon monoxide gases when burnt.