Behind the Scenes at BURN: WiRE Kenya Explores Clean Cooking Technology
On 22nd March 2025, WiRE Kenya visited BURN, one of Africa’s leading cookstove manufacturers. BURN is at the forefront of clean cooking innovation, producing fuel-efficient stoves that are positively transforming the lives of millions across Kenya and beyond.
During the tour, we observed the end-to-end manufacturing process of BURN’s stoves, starting from raw material processing using lathing and CNC machines, all the way to final packaging and storage of the cookstoves in the warehouses in preparation for shipment.
We explored the production lines of several cutting-edge products including:
ECOA Char: an efficient charcoal cook stove that uses 62% less charcoal than traditional charcoal stoves
ECOA Wood: a stove that is engineered to use 71% less firewood compared to the 3-stone fire
ECOA Electric : a smokeless smart induction cooker with an innovative Pay-As-You-Cook financing model enabled by mobile money payment systems.
Throughout the tour, it was inspiring to witness the significant participation of women on the factory floor at the various production stages. Female technicians were operating machinery, shaping the cookware components and assembling the stove parts on the assembly line.
To date, BURN has distributed over 5 million cookstoves across Africa that have impacted the lives of more than 27 million people, saved 16 million tons of wood, prevented 28 million tons of CO2 emissions from reaching the atmosphere and created 2,500 jobs. Furthermore, more than half of BURN’s workforce is made up of women, highlighting the company’s commitment to gender inclusivity.
Several women from the WiRE Kenya network shared their reflections on the visit:
“This visit was an enlightening experience, showcasing the intersection of engineering innovation and environmental stewardship. Witnessing firsthand how BURN integrates sustainable practices into their manufacturing processes was truly inspiring and reinforces the critical role of engineering in driving positive societal change.” ~Prudence
“A major highlight was seeing women in the assembly plant actively operating machinery, contributing to the production process. I was also impressed by the effective safety practices they have in place to ensure a secure working environment.” ~ Faith
“Seeing women at BURN leading the clean energy transition—as technicians, engineers, and decision-makers—was a powerful reminder that energy access is not just about technology; it's about people.Clean cooking is a climate solution, a gender equality solution, and an economic empowerment solution.” ~Sandra
WiRE Kenya extends its sincere thanks to Alfred Mitoko, Godfrey Chege, Kevin Murimi, Waweru Mwangi, Shavine Zawadi and all the staff at BURN for a truly inspiring and informative field trip. We are excited about their future achievements and look forward to a strong and productive partnership.
