Determinants of investing in bio-gas technology among rural households of Lanet location, Dundori Division, Nakuru County, Kenya

Abstract

Access to energy resources in Africa presents challenges to human health, environmental health, and economic development. In 21 sub-Saharan African countries, less than 10% of the population has access to electricity necessitating the need for adoption of alternative renew-able energy sources from locally available resources. Since the introduction of bio-gas technology into Kenya in the mid 1950s, only a small percentage of farmers have adopted the technology. With Kenya striving to achieve the millennium development goals of 2015 and Vision 2030 that seek to integrate the principles of sustainable development into the country's policies and programmes and further reverse loss of environmental resources, there is a need to understand concerns facing the Adoption of Bio-gas technology in rural households.

The study adopted the ex-post-facto survey research design with the target population being rural households in Lanet Location, Dundori Division of Nakuru North District. A sample size of 324 households was selected from a population 6956 households. Data collection was done through structured questionnaires. The data collected from the field was then organized, coded and analyzed using qualitative techniques using the SPSS version 17 software.

Findings revealed an overwhelming proportion 262 (80.9%) of the respondents affirming that their level of income did influence their decision on investment of Bio-gas with a skewed distribution of households in favour of households without bio-gas 246 (75.9 %) in relation to those that had adopted the same 78(24.1 %). The costs of setting up a biogas unit was cited as a key impediment to the adoption of the technology in Lanet Location.

Size of household land influence did not limit their decisions to invest in bio-gas technology. This is in spite of an overwhelming proportion of the respondents 225 (69.4%) indicating to owning land units of II<! acre or less. This was an indicator that with better financial arrangements being made to residents, many would easily take up the use of bio-gas as opposed to other conventional sources of energy such as electricity and firewood. The study further indicates that in spite of the setbacks faced, many household are keen in embracing this technology that has the potential to counteract many adverse health and environmental impacts.