On the vast slopes of the Mau Eburu Forest ecosystem in Gilgil, Nakuru County, we find Lydia Nyota, 59, tending her vegetable garden.
Nyota, a mother of three, practices organic farming. She grows beans, cabbages and avocados among others, thanks to her biogas project.
"Here I practise organic farming, by using waste from biogas, and as you see my crops are doing well. My avocados are now in the flowering stage and soon I will be selling to those people who buy and export them outside the country," she said.
She is among the people living near forests who have adopted Balloon Plant Bio-gas as an alternative domestic source of energy.
This initiative is aimed at reducing reliance on forests as a source of energy.
"Getting firewood was a challenge, the only source is the forest, so we used to sneak into the forest, steal firewood and sometimes be arrested but we had no option. Others used to burn charcoal there. People were destroying the forest, but this is changing, said Nyota.
According to Rhino Ark Community fence Manager Joseph Mutongu, as part of conserving the forest they constructed a 43.3 square kilometre electric fence around the forest at a cost of Sh100 million. But they had to find a solution for the residents who depend on the forest for firewood.
He added that the biogas was aimed at securing the ecological integrity and sustainability of the forest which hosts a number of wild animals among them the endangered Mountain Bongos.
"We sensitised the residents living near the forest to adopt the use of biogas as an alternative to charcoal and firewood," he said.
The initiative, according to Mutongu, has also helped in reducing human-wildlife conflicts, many people were being attacked in the forest while fetching firewood.
Within Eburu, 59 members have so far adopted the use of biogas.
Apart from using the biogas waste in the farm, Nyota uses it for cooking and also lighting her house.
With a combination of water and cow dung from her two cows, combustible methane gas is produced as a source of heat for cooking and a source of light.
"When people are crying of the effects of post-Covid-19, and high cost of living, personally I don't feel the effects so much. A cylinder of cooking gas has gone up, electricity bills, food but for me I don't buy fuel, I don't pay electricity bills and also some food I get from my farm," she said.
The waste from the biogas has also saved her from the high cost of fertiliser.
"I sell the produce to my neighbours, buyers come from as far as from Naivasha, it has also helped me feed my family with ease, I am planning to utilise fully this piece of land by harvesting rain water so that I can practise irrigation," she added.
The cost of installation and maintenance of the biogas is Sh55,000. This includes the tube, the piping and the burner.
"We were assisted by Rhino Ark to install the system. It is durable, it can last 30 years," she added.
The success of the biogas initiative in Eburu has seen residents of Nyandarua ambrace it too.
"A group of farmers from Nyadarua visited here and they have also embraced the use of biogas, so far 11 of them are now using biogas," she said.
Kennedy Kimani, an expert in biogas and waste management, said the cost of installation may seem high, but the long-term benefits are enormous.
