COVID-19 Lockdown in a Kenyan Informal Settlement: Impacts on Household Energy and Food Security

Abstract

A COVID-19 lockdown may impact household fuel use and food security for ~700 million sub-Saharan Africans who rely on polluting fuels (e.g. wood, kerosene) for household energy and typically work in the informal economy. In an informal settlement in Nairobi, surveys administered before (n=474) and after (n=194) a mandatory COVID-19-related community lockdown documented socioeconomic/household energy impacts. During lockdown, 95% of participants indicated income decline or cessation and 88% reported being food insecure. Three quarters of participants cooked less frequently and half altered their diet. One quarter (27%) of households primarily using liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) for cooking before lockdown switched to kerosene (14%) or wood (13%). These results indicate the livelihoods of urban Kenyan families were deleteriously affected by COVID-19 lockdown, with a likely rise in household air pollution from community-level increases in polluting fuel use. To safeguard public health, policies should prioritize enhancing clean fuel and food access among the urban poor.

Pay-as-you-go LPG supports sustainable clean cooking in Kenyan informal urban settlement, including during a period of COVID-19 lockdown

“…On a monthly basis, the average amount spent by PAYG LPG residential customers (840 Ksh/month (US$7.69)) was similar to the paid amount reported by purchasers of LPG cylinder refills under the BCRM in the same community (850 Ksh/month (US$7.83)). 32 Similar average monthly expenditures among PAYG LPG customers despite lower usage of PAYG LPG (4 days/week) (Table 2) compared to self-reported use of LPG under the BCRM (6.3 days/week) 32 is due to a ∼7.1% fuel surcharge by PayGo Energy to cover equipment installation and delivery fees. 42,43…”

“…Among 415 PAYG LPG residential customers, annual LPG per capita consumption was 11.6 kg/capita/year, below that of peri-urban dwellers (12.8 kg/capita/year) and of urban dwellers (18.7 kg/capita/year) reported in the 2019 Kenya LPG National Feasibility study of domestic fuel patterns. 41 32 is due to a ~7.1% fuel surcharge by PayGo Energy to cover equipment installation and delivery fees. 42,43 Additional to the flexible payment scheme offered by PAYG LPG, in interviews with customers it was revealed that increased safety from burns/gas explosions, time savings and ability to prepare separate dishes on both burners and fuel delivery were also key features enjoyed by households.…”

“…Despite financial hardships imposed by the COVID-19 lockdown (95% of households reported decreases in household income during lockdown 32 ), an increase in monthly per capita PAYG LPG consumption was observed among residential customers (from 1.12 kg/capita/month prelockdown to 1.22 kg/capita/month during lockdown) ( with the community-level average (37%), female occupation and household education levels were similar between both groups (Table S3). Moreover, individuals living in Eldoret that were more affluent than PayGo Energy customers in Mukuru kwa Reuben (Table S4) Modifications to cooking patterns among PAYG LPG users were complemented by alterations in the rate of mobile money payments.…”

“…children that stayed home from school) may not have occurred had they been purchasing LPG under the BCRM.The juxtaposition of LPG cooking habits between PayGo Energy customers and full cylinderLPG users within the same community supports the utility of the flexible payment schedule (e.g. smaller amounts more frequently) provided by PAYG LPG, which potentially allowed customers to maintain use of LPG despite income declines during COVID-19 lockdown (88% of community members reported complete cessation of income during lockdown32 ). Access to PAYG LPG may have therefore averted a possible rise in community-level household air pollution emissions from increased use of wood/kerosene for cooking.…”

“…15,31 A recent longitudinal study showed that 95% (n=183) of households in an informal settlement in Nairobi, Kenya experienced reductions in household income during COVID-19 lockdown, and 27% of full cylinder LPG users in the community reverted to kerosene (14%) or wood (13%) for cooking. 32…”