Executive Committee Members
Jechoniah Kitala/ CCAK Chairman /
Jechoniah Kitala/ CCAK Chairman /
Jechoniah Kitala is a development expert with over 25 years of development practice. He is the Consultancy Manager and Head of Energy Programmes at Practical Action EA Regional office.
Previously, he was a senior Renewable Energy Advisor at SNV Netherlands Development Organization. He has been involved in development and promotion of renewable energy technologies in East Africa through capacity building of actors, development of business models for renewable energy including building last mile distribution systems for solar home systems, minigrids, clean cook stoves and fuels. He has managed complex projects involving multiple stakeholders in the private sector, government, civil society organizations and international donors. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics (University of Nairobi), a Masters in Economic Policy Management (University of Ghana) and a Diploma in Project Management and Administration.
As a founding member and chair of CCAK, he has seen CCAK grow from infancy to being the leading membership organization representing the interests of the clean cooking sector. The association started from a one –staff secretariat to a vibrant team of seven staff and a broad and growing membership base. Key achievements include CCAK becoming the voice of the clean cooking sector in Kenya and being able to engage with a wide stakeholder base from government, private sector and civil society.
“The clean cooking sector in Kenya is now poised for take-off with the rapid growth of the market and a more conducive policy environment. We should all join hands to make universal access to clean cooking solutions by 2030 a reality.”
Caroline Toroitich/ Vice Chairperson /
Caroline Toroitich/ Vice Chairperson /
Country Sector Leader, Technical Assistance Facility at Coffey International, vice chairperson at Clean Cooking Association of Kenya and a full time mother of one – all these describe an incredible woman in the energy sector who has ..
miles to prove that gender knows no bounds. Caroline Toroitich, born and raised in Uasin Gishu County-Eldoret (Kenya), is a PhD holder in Agricultural Extension and Rural Development holder and holds a Masters of Philosophy in Environmental Studies and a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology.
Caroline began her career 16 years ago, with 10 of these in the energy access space dealing with clean cooking, lighting and productive use. Currently, she is the Demand Led Facility Lead for Africa Clean Energy- Technical Assistance Facility at Coffey International. She previously held various positions in different organisations: Senior Advisor- Power Africa Offgrid at RTI international, Regional Programme Manager at Energy 4 Impact, Programme Manager at the Rainforest Alliance and Country Sector Leader, Renewable Energy at SNV where she held various advisory positions. She has won awards including but not limited to the 2017 Women in Energy Awards- Community Energy Award and is passionate about clean cooking.
Caroline has been a member of CCAK since inception, first under the auspices of SNV. In 2018 she joined as an individual member and is currently the Honorary Vice Chair at the CCAK Executive Board.
“Being a gender and environmental advocate and having experienced first-hand the drudgery that households in the rural areas go through when looking for firewood and the fact that they will have to bear with the smoke while cooking, I had to do something. I started my career in clean cooking promoting biogas, before moving into clean cook stoves and fuels.”
“We are a long way to achieving universal access to clean cooking in Kenya, being the voice of the sector body, the leadership to achievement of this is on us, let us not tire!”
Reimund Hoffman/ Treasurer /
Reimund Hoffman/ Treasurer /
Reimund Hoffmann is the Honorary Treasurer and Founding member of CCAK. As Treasurer, he has continuously guided the secretariat and in particular, the CEO and accountant, on financial and administrative matters for 20 hours each month.
As founder member, Hoffmann was part of the team that provided technical and administrative support to the association. At the time, the Clean Cooking Alliance, known as Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves (GACC) then, held a regional stakeholder consultation in 2012, after which it became obvious that implementation of a Country Action Plan was not possible without a coordinating body thereby mandating GIZ and SNV to initiate the formation of an association. At this time, Hoffmann was programme manager for the GIZ program EnDev, and hence part of the respective task force. At the start, CCAK received a grant of USD 10,000.00 from GACC to meet costs for meetings and finalization of the Country Action Plan. Soon after, in May 2013, Clean Cookstoves Association of Kenya was registered and held the first annual general meeting on October 1st 2013 endorsing the constitution and electing executive committee members. GACC provided additional funding which was used to employ an Executive Secretary, and give a stipend to interns who provided support. Since then, the association has attracted funding from other sources like the Dutch government, UN Habitat and GiZ. From one desk in a member’s office, the secretariat grew into a fully-fledged office housed at NextGen mall having endorsed the Strategic Plan which led to a change of name to Clean Cooking Association of Kenya.
Hoffmann holds a Master’s degree in Social Sciences. While he is currently a retiree, he has been a Programme Manager for 30 years specializing in Agriculture while his focus at GIZ was Energy. He is of German descent and is married with one child.
David Njugi/ CEO and Executive Secretary /
David Njugi/ CEO and Executive Secretary /
Mr. David Njugi is a mechanical engineer by profession with considerable experience in project management, renewable energy technologies (solar/biogas/small hydro), green growth economy, business and technical advisory experience to SMEs,
especially in energy efficiency, renewable energy, water and agribusiness sectors. He also possesses finance and accounting skills through his professional training and experience as an accountant. David is also a trained Certified Energy Manager (CEM).
Previously, David worked at the Kenya Association of Manufacturers (KAM) where he coordinated energy projects and managed clean energy promotion programmes whose goal was to catalyse private sector investments in climate change mitigation solutions such as renewable energy. He coordinated the energy policy and advocacy work with the national government, energy agencies and county governments. He previously worked with the International Trade Centre, Kenya Climate Innovation Centre (KCIC) which is a business incubator and accelerator in renewable energy, Strathmore Energy Research Centre among other organizationsExecutive Board Members
Francis Akumu/ Board member & Chairperson - Knowledge and Information Management Pillar /
Francis Akumu/ Board member & Chairperson - Knowledge and Information Management Pillar /
Francis Akumu Oketch is social Environmental philanthropist whose passion is to save Kenya’s water towers. Akumu has over 20 years working experience in Public and NGO sectors in Kenya.
Currently, he heads the marketing unit at Kings biofuels limited. He holds a Master of Arts Social Sciences and Bachelors of Economics degree from University of Kerala- India. He is a certified business Trainer (International Labour Organization - SIYB) and mentor in green business. He has trained many Youth/ women in Kenya, Uganda and Somaliland on carbonized briquette making whom he further mentors and trains on interlocking pressed bricks to stop cutting of trees to burn bricks’.
He is the chairman of the Knowledge and Information Management Pillar, a position through which he intends to build a comprehensive information hub as projected in the association’s Strategic Plan with focus ion the following areas :-
- Brand Visibility and Recognition: this is essential for social behavioural change to drive member sales and increase membership and revenue base of the association
- Access to information: He states that he will support development of simple APPs and USSD platforms targeted at households, institutions and investors thereby enhancing the revenue base of the association.
- Knowledge: through the position he intends to support creation of knowledge management and training forums in order to build member capacity.
Francis believes that Clean Cooking Solutions are the way to go: “In African Society, cooking is a basic part of every household. In Luo culture for instance, when a woman gets married, the process is referred to as “Odhi tedo” meaning she’s gone to cook while in Coast ‘amepata jiko’ literally means he got a stove.” Every day, we make choices about the food we eat and our lifestyles. Like Cocacola, CCAK must create strategies that will appeal to the community to actively transform from destructing cooking habits through social behavioral change.
“So powerful is the light of unity that it can illuminate the whole earth,”
Dorothy Otieno/ Board Member & Chairperson - Membership and Member Oriented Services /
Dorothy Otieno/ Board Member & Chairperson - Membership and Member Oriented Services /
Dorothy is a Kenyan Citizen born in Nairobi and raised in Uasin Gishu County where she attended her early year’s education. She is a mother of three who enjoys reading, listening to gospel music and travelling.
Dorothy was elected the Chairperson of the Membership Pillar at CCAK, gaining a table on the association’s board. Her journey started on 3rd April 2017 when she joined CCAK as an individual micro entrepreneur. Today she has upgraded her membership to a corporate member.
She has over 20 years’ business experience in both clean cooking and agribusiness and specializes in production and distribution of efficient cook stoves and fuels. She is the founder and CEO of Nyalore Impact, a social enterprise based in Homa Bay County. Her great desire to own a business that earns income and provides for her family was fruitful when her son shared with her about briquettes. Her journey started with months of online research for information and customers. This excitement was short lived after her briquettes demonstration in a local hotel went horribly wrong due to her lack of knowledge, but thanks to GIZ, who shared resources that gave her knowledge on clean cookstoves and fuels, she has actualized this. She has won awards and is recognised as a renewable energy champion. In 2018, Dorothy emerged 2nd Runner Up for a Netfund/CCAK Award in the Clean Cookstoves Technologies category exposing her to greater networks for her business and access to more resources.
“A strong, nationally recognized clean cooking institution with 100 new members in the next 18 months and over 350 members within the next 5 years, a thriving green economy driven by CCAK, healthy and empowered communities to achieve the desired SDGs leaving no one behind. Together we ignite change,”
Daniel Wanjohi/ Board member & Chairperson - Standards and Technical Issues/
Daniel Wanjohi/ Board member & Chairperson - Standards and Technical Issues/
Daniel Wanjohi has been at the forefront of the clean cooking sector expansion since his involvement in the development of Kenya’s Country Action Plan on Clean Cooking. Since then, he has participated in CCAK activities;
in 2019 he became a board member as chair of the Standards and Technical Issues pillar.
He is a renewable energy expert with 18 years of experience in development of renewable energy technologies and markets. He has worked in renewable energy technologies ranging from lighting, cooking and energy for productive use including mini-grids. He has served in senior positions in private sector and international development organizations providing leadership in programs spanning from energy policy advocacy, energy access, entrepreneurship development, organizational strengthening, clean cooking technology & fuels improvement, standards, investment & consumer financing and climate change mitigation and adaptation.
He is currently the Regional Manager – East Africa for the Clean Cooking Alliance, where he is charged with providing leadership and coordination of Alliance activities in the East Africa region.
Scott Otieno/ Board member & Chairperson Representation And Advocacy /
Scott Otieno/ Board member & Chairperson Representation And Advocacy /
Scott Otieno is a Kenyan citizen born and bred in Nyakach, Kisumu County. He is a bachelor’s degree holder in Economics and Statistics from the University of Nairobi currently working with Consumers Choice Limited as the Country’s Sales Representative for cook stoves, ethanol and gel.
Watching his mother’s daily battle with perennial smoke while struggling to put food on the table, he promised himself that he would get involved in improving the health of other mothers. His interest in energy and climate change was inspired by that experience, and by the need to get involved and become part of the change in the cooking sector as he opines that cooking should be an enjoyable activity rather than a punishment.
Scott joined CCAK in July 2018 as an individual member and upgraded to corporate membership. Active and committed, he has been involved in most of the association’s activities. In 2018, Scott was part of the team of stakeholders in Kitui County responsible for the drafting of standards and regulations for carbonized briquettes and charcoal.
Scott envisions an organization where members can go about their businesses without barriers that limit their creativity and innovation; a team that champions for policies that promote healthy competition in the sector locally, within East Africa and the entire globe.
“Under my umbrella, I would like to advocate for self-regulatory teams driven by the same agenda as the country’s vision 2030, and advocate for the involvement of more youths in the cooking sector,”
Tom Morton/ Board Member /
Tom Morton/ Board Member /
Tom is British and was brought up in the UK. He went to University in Edinburgh, achieving an MA in Geography before moving to London to become a Chartered Surveyor. Having qualified, he then went to Oxford University and studied for an MSc in Environmental Change and Management.
He joined ClimateCare as a start-up in 2000 and in 2007, he moved to Kenya to set up the local office in Nairobi and lives in Nairobi with his family since then.
Tom is Director of ClimateCare, a company that helps clients to compensate for their greenhouse gas emission through buying carbon offsets, “We turn environmental responsibilities into positive outcomes.” ClimateCare’s projects do not only reduce emissions, they also improve household budgets and often have other benefits such as reducing indoor air pollution – particularly with clean cooking projects. Tom is very passionate about the way that people cook and the opportunities they have for improvement in that regard.
ClimateCare has funded a number of clean cooking projects in Kenya, Uganda, Ghana, India and parts of Asia. Some of these now reduce GHG emissions by over 500,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide each year. The company not only funds clean jikos but also biogas and ethanol and is now researching Electric Pressure Cookers. Normally, CareClimate Care pays on results once carbon credits are delivered, sometimes they can also provide other facilities such as consumer finance.
ClimateCare joined CCAK at the beginning in the small corporate company category as the company has fewer than 50 employees.
“We see CCAK as a galvanising force in the industry with the ability to talk as one voice both to government and to potential customers in the country. 70% of Kenya’s energy comes from biomass which is unsustainable in the long term. The cooking sector has been identified as one in which GHG reductions can be made in order to help Kenya reach its ambitious targets under the Paris Agreement. This can be a major source of funding for Kenyan cooking businesses over the next ten years – and as CCAK we’d like to help our industry make the most of that.”
Anna Ingwe/ Board Member /
Anna Ingwe/ Board Member /
Anna Ingwe is a member of the CCAK board. She is the Programme Manager for GiZ energizing Development Programme in Kenya. She understands the clean cooking sector particularly the artisanal market.
She is an Msc. graduate in Renewable Energies from Germany with bias in biomass for rural Household Energy.
Susanne Hounsell/ Board member/
Susanne Hounsell/ Board member/
Susan Hounsell grew up in Germany and attended the University of Edinburgh and University of Maastricht. She has worked in the energy and climate space in Europe and sub-Saharan Africa for almost 15 years
and is currently managing SNV’s energy portfolio in Kenya and Burundi as Sector Lead Energy. She was previously Director, East Africa Energy Analystics Limited based in Nairobi and Associate Director of IHS Markit in Paris, France. She has been a member since October 2020 and looks forward to see CCAK grow with a strong and engaged membership base.
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Clean Cooking Association of Kenya (CCAK)
NextGen Mall (3.38 mi)
Nairobi, Kenya
P.O.Box 41607, 00100 Nairobi Kenya
Mobie: +254 0707 111669
www.ccak.or.ke