Did you know Kenya produces 90% of its electricity from renewable sources? According to the Ministry of Energy and Kenya Electricity Generating Company (KenGen), the country derives about 45-50% of its total energy mix from geothermal, 30% hydro, roughly 12-15% wind and around 2-3% solar. However, the country has set a goal to produce 100% of its energy from renewable sources by 2030.
One of the other avenues the country has an opportunity for is biogas production. In Kenya, this source can utilize organic waste as feedstock. With new technologies and innovations, this method generates energy, manages waste, and provides organic fertilizer.
One company pioneering this technology is Biogas International, a company driven by passionate innovators committed to environmental sustainability. In an interview with Sustainable Packaging Middle East & Africa magazine, CEO Domnic Kahumbu how biogas can reshape Kenya’s energy landscape while addressing key environmental issues like waste management and deforestation.
The genesis of Biogas International
The story of Biogas International began with childhood fascination. Mr. Kahumbu vividly recalls when he first encountered biogas: a floating-top biogas digester that used cow dung to produce flammable gas. “I was mesmerized by the blue flame that burned from cow dung. It was striking to me, and I knew from that moment that biogas would be part of my life,” he explains.
But curiosity has a way of sticking, and soon after, his family did get cows. The question kept nagging at him: could cow dung create gas? Determined to find out, he built his own small digester from a tin of margarine and an apple pie can. After a couple of trials, the gas it produced was flammable. “That was it,” he said. “I was hooked. That was the turning point for me. Biogas wasn’t just an interest from then on—it became a calling.”
Throughout high school, his passion grew as he designed and built different types of biogas digesters. But one thing kept bothering him. The conventional systems were bulky and complex. “I remember thinking, ‘This is too much. How can we make it simpler?’” he explained. That desire for simplicity and efficiency fueled years of experimentation and, eventually, the creation of Flexi Biogas Solutions—a portable system that could change lives.
His inspiration wasn’t just technical. Environmental conservation played a big role in shaping his vision. His sister, Dr. Paula Kahumbu, a conservationist, once approached him with a pressing issue. Communities living near Nairobi National Park were cutting down trees for firewood, threatening the delicate ecosystem. “She asked if there was a way to help them find a sustainable fuel source,” he shared. That was the moment Biogas International took on a new purpose. “What about a portable biogas system?” he suggested.
That simple question led to prototypes, tests, and eventually a system that could provide clean energy to communities while helping to preserve forests. The company’s early prototypes were tested in places like the Maasai Mara, with each model teaching new lessons about how people use technology in real life. “No one reads instruction manuals anymore,” he laughed. “We realized we had to make something so simple that people wouldn’t have to think.”
Today, Biogas International has grown beyond its humble beginnings. Its systems are used in markets, homes, and even schools, providing energy and valuable fertilizer. What started as a childhood experiment has become a business making a real difference—one portable digester at a time.
The Flexi Biogas Solution: A circular economy in action
The Flexi Biogas system is an innovative model that converts biodegradable waste into usable energy. Unlike conventional systems that rely heavily on cow dung, Flexi Biogas can run on various organic materials, including market waste, kitchen scraps, and chicken dung. This flexibility makes it accessible to a broader range of users, particularly in urban areas with limited access to animal waste.
“One of the biggest benefits of our system is that it opens up biogas to everyone, not just dairy farmers. This could be a game-changer for Kenya, where urban households rely heavily on charcoal for cooking,” explains the founder. The system operates efficiently, ensuring 100% fermentation by mimicking the digestive system of animals. By avoiding mixing new and old feed, it maintains optimal conditions for gas production, making it one of the most efficient systems globally.
How Flexi Biogas operates
The Flexi Biogas system is designed to simplify and make biogas production more accessible. The technology mimics the digestive system of animals, where organic waste like kitchen scraps, animal dung, or even invasive plants is fed into an inlet. This waste, mixed with water, enters the digester, where bacteria break it down, producing biogas.
A single bucket of waste (approximately 20 kg) can generate enough gas to fuel a family’s daily cooking needs. The gas can be used for a wide range of applications, from heating water to powering farm equipment. Installation is simple: the portable system can be set up within a day, producing gas within a week of being fed. The digester is made from durable tarpaulin and is covered with a greenhouse material to accelerate the decomposition process by maintaining optimal heat.
Organic fertilizer: A valuable byproduct
In addition to biogas, the system produces liquid organic fertilizer as a byproduct, which can be used immediately to enrich soil. For every 20 kg of waste fed into the system, 20 litres of liquid bio-fertilizer are produced, providing farmers with a valuable resource for improving crop yields. This fertilizer can be pumped into drip irrigation systems, reducing labor and enhancing farming efficiency.
Large-scale applications: The T-Rex System
For more extensive energy needs, Biogas International has developed the T-Rex system, a multi-chamber digester that can produce significant amounts of gas for use in hotels, schools, and markets. Depending on the size of the system, the T-Rex can generate up to 50 cubic meters of gas daily, making it suitable for institutions with high energy demands.
Addressing urban waste and energy challenges
Kenya faces significant challenges in managing urban waste and providing affordable energy, particularly in low-income areas where charcoal is the primary cooking fuel. This reliance on charcoal not only drives deforestation but also poses health risks due to indoor air pollution. Flexi Biogas has a circular solution to this, generating energy for cooking and managing organic waste generated.
“Our original goal was to save trees by offering a charcoal replacement, but we realized that most rural households don’t cut trees—they collect firewood. It’s the urban centres that consume charcoal. That’s where we need to make a difference,” notes Mr. Kahumbu. Flexi Biogas has developed a model that brings digesters directly into marketplaces, processing organic waste and piping gas to communal kitchens. This system reduces reliance on charcoal while creating a circular economy where waste is transformed into energy and fertilizer.
Overcoming adoption barriers
One of the biggest hurdles the company faces is convincing people of the viability of its technology. In Kenya, biogas is traditionally associated with dairy farming and cow dung, so expanding its use to non-farming households and urban areas requires a mindset shift.
“People are used to thinking of biogas as something that only works with cow dung, but our system runs on anything biodegradable,” says Mr Kahumbu. The company has set up multiple demo sites across the country in locations like Ngong, Karatina, and Kisumu to demonstrate the effectiveness of their technology. Despite the benefits, funding remains a significant challenge, particularly as many public projects are hesitant to invest in the necessary infrastructure.
Impact on agriculture and food security
Beyond its energy applications, the Flexi Biogas system has the potential to revolutionize Kenya’s agricultural sector. The system generates liquid organic fertilizer as a byproduct, offering farmers a sustainable alternative to chemical fertilizers, which deplete soil health over time. “Fertilizer is a major issue in Kenya. Our soils are depleted by over-reliance on chemical fertilizers, which kill the microorganisms that make the soil fertile. Biogas fertilizer is different—it builds the soil rather than depleting it,” explains the founder.
In addition to producing fertilizer, the company is exploring the creation of food processing centres in rural areas. These centres would use biogas to add value to agricultural products like fruit, dairy, and coffee, reducing post-harvest losses and improving food security. One such way is by innovating fruit dryers that use biogas as a source of energy and are made from locally available materials. The company has developed model fruit dryers that help prolong the life cycle of fruits.
Cleaning rivers and addressing plastic pollution
Flexi Biogas Solutions is also making strides in environmental conservation by using biogas technology to clean up Kenya’s rivers. Organic waste, not just plastic, is a major pollutant that turns river water black. Flexi Biogas addresses this by using invasive plants like water hyacinth to absorb nutrients from the rivers before processing them into biogas.
“Our rivers are dying because organic waste is dumped into them. By using plants like water hyacinth to sponge the nutrients out of the water, we can clean the rivers and use the plants as feedstock for biogas,” the founder explains. The company’s vision includes establishing biogas digesters along Kenya’s rivers to create jobs and restore natural ecosystems.
Conclusion: A Path to Sustainability
Flexi Biogas Solution is at the forefront of addressing some of Kenya’s most pressing environmental and energy challenges. By turning waste into energy and fertilizer, the system offers a clean, affordable alternative to traditional fuels like charcoal while providing farmers with valuable organic fertilizer. The technology’s versatility and scalability make it suitable for a wide range of applications, from small households to large institutions.
With continued innovation and wider adoption, Flexi Biogas could help Kenya transition to a more sustainable future, reducing deforestation, improving waste management, and providing clean energy for millions.
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