African Biodigester Component (Abc) Kenya: Biodigester Enterprise Inventory – 2023
In the quiet farms of Mount Kenya and the lush valleys of the Rift, where smoke once filled kitchens, clean flames now whisper progress. Powered by cow dung and kitchen waste, Kenya's biodigester market is experiencing a vibrant development.
The 2023 Biodigester Enterprises Inventory report, compiled under the African Biodigester Component in Kenya, saw overall positive growth of the market compared to 2022, with more enterprises participating, increased annual sales, a surge in prefabricated digester adoption, and a larger, more gender-inclusive workforce.
In 2023, there were 90 active biodigester enterprises in Kenya, with 52 participating in the latest survey on the Biodigester Enterprise Inventory up from 39 in 2022. The industry is becoming increasingly diverse and dynamic, marked by a sharp rise in prefabricated biodigester installations, constituting 65% of the 4,553 units sold in 2023. This a 27% increase in annual sales compared to 2022. 2023 marked the first year where prefabricated biodigesters represent a higher share of the market compared to fixed dome biodigesters.
Figure 1: Annual biogas sales by type (2023)
In a sector once dominated by male founders, women and youth are entering the scene. The number of female employees grew by 6% in 2023, and workforce numbers overall jumped by 279, indicating job creation. However, only 6 of the surveyed enterprises are women-owned.
Figure 2: Gender distribution of employees in the biodigester sector (2023)
Companies are not only constructing biodigesters, but also nearly half of them provide maintenance, accessories, bioslurry services, and mason training. Thirty-five companies have undergone professional training in biogas installation, showing a growing emphasis on quality and skill.
Yet, skilled masons are in short supply. Entrepreneurs are calling on the Ministry of Energy to build and maintain a certified mason database. As biogas becomes a pillar of the clean energy transition, standardization and quality control will be pivotal.
The market's greatest barriers, as reported, are not technological; they are financial and perceptual. Twenty-one companies cited financial limitations, and 11 pointed to low consumer awareness. Others struggle with logistics, inflation, and lack of subsidies.
Yet, the potential remains immense. Participating companies forecast selling or installing up to 20,000 units within four years.
Figure 3: Market barriers as reported by companies
Only 9 out of 52 companies have bank loans. The rest either lack access or collateral. Meanwhile, 28 companies expressed a need for credit, with desired amounts ranging from KES 200,000 to over 50 million.
Figure 4: Loan needs vs. access to credit
Result-Based Financing (RBF) is showing promise, with 15 contracted companies reporting workforce growth to over 760 employees. But awareness is still low; 24 companies are unfamiliar with RBF.
Marketing remains a major bottleneck. Only 2 companies have formal marketing strategies. Social media is the most-used platform, especially Facebook, but often without strategy or training. Encouragingly, marketing costs are now viewed as necessary investments, with up to 40% of unit cost attributed to outreach in some cases.
About the African Biodigester Component in Kenya:
Funded by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs (DGIS), the Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA) and the European Union (EU), the African Biodigester Component (ABC) in Kenya aims at facilitating a shift of the biodigester market from its pioneering to the expansion phase where more than 10,000 small (0 to 23 m3) and 100 medium (24 to 500 m3) size biodigesters will be installed. The component is implemented by a consortium between GIZ and SNV (the Netherlands Development Organisation) in cooperation with Africa Bioenergy Programmes Limited (ABPL - ex-KBP).
The project objectives will be achieved by means of a well-balanced mix of demand-side, supply-side, financing and enabling environment interventions, geared at boosting demand and supporting biodigester companies in acquiring more clients.