TotalEnergies has committed to inject Sh1 billion into the Kenyan market annually as part of its clean cooking strategy, with a keen focus on LPG.

This will mainly go into cooking gas cylinders with the company seeking to inject at least 180,000 into the market annually, even as it notes rampant illegal filling of cylinders as a major sector. 

The drive is part of the $400 million (Sh51.8 billion) earmarked for investment in Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) in Africa and India, targeting at least 100 million people by 2030.

“The priority is not only to supply LPG but also address barriers to adoption which includes affordability, accessibility, logistics, awareness and partnership,” the firm said.

TotalEnergies Marketing Kenya managing director, Thibault Flichy, yesterday said Kenya remains key in driving the Oil Marketing Company’s clean energy strategy and expansion in Africa, where it also targets Rwanda, Tanzania, Mozambique and Namibia.

“We are convinced that Kenya has put in place policies and continues to implement structures that drive LPG penetration hence it remains a key part of our journey. We believe we can change lives,” Flichy said.

The company targets to have reached more than four million households, on cooking gas cylinders, by end of this year.

“However, the company still faces the challenge of rampant illegal filling of cylinders,” he said, which has seen it introduce a tagging and tracking project to follow its cylinders.

Illegal filling is a major safety and economic menace that the government is aggressively dismantling through multi-agency crackdowns, led by the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA).

Rogue operators bypass safety laws by cross-filling branded cylinders without the owner's consent, skipping critical maintenance, and operating hidden depots in residential neighborhoods.

Meanwhile, Total has committed to support Kenya’s government plans of increasing LPG penetration from the current 24 per cent to 70 per cent by the year 2028.

Latest data by the Petroleum Institute of East Africa (PIEA) shows that LPG consumption rose by 14.7 per cent to 475,943 metric tonnes in 2025, building on an equally strong 15.1 per cent growth recorded in 2024, when demand reached 414,861 tonnes.

“Key drivers included government zero-rating of LPG and the National LPG Growth Strategy as well as household shift from kerosene or biomass,” PIEA notes.

Kerosene consumption has declined sharply in recent years for instance a 41 per cent drop in 2024 period.

The government is banking on the planned introduction of an Open Tender System for imports and common user facilities to drive down costs and make the commodity cheaper.

This, as it also continues to implement the National Clean Cooking Transition Programme 2024-2028 that includes transitioning 11,000 schools and other public institutions from biomass to LPG.

TotalEnergies Marketing Kenya PLC commercial specialties and LPG manager Henry Kwame said the company is aligning its strategy with government efforts aimed at transitioning millions of households from traditional cooking fuels such as firewood and charcoal to cleaner alternatives.

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Kwame, the transition to clean cooking is critical in addressing health, environmental and social challenges associated with traditional cooking methods.

“LPG is more available, affordable and scalable. We are able to reduce household emissions by up to 98 per cent when families switch to LPG, making it one of the most effective clean cooking solutions available today,” he said.

The firm's clean cooking strategy is also supported by a partnership with M-Gas under a pay-as-you-cook model, that allows customers to access LPG without the high upfront costs associated with purchasing cylinders, burners and accessories.

Under the arrangement, households can make small payments based on their cooking needs, lowering the barrier to entry for low-income consumers.