The sudden closure of KOKO Networks has left over 1.5 million households across Kenya searching for alternatives to the clean-cooking bioethanol the startup provided. On January 31, 2026, KOKO sent a brief message to customers announcing the shutdown, following months of supply disruptions linked to a biofuels shortage.

For many families, particularly in informal settlements, KOKO’s pay-as-you-go fuel system had become an integral part of daily life. Customers are now turning to LPG, kerosene, and charcoal, despite higher costs and health risks from indoor smoke.

KOKO’s closure also affects local agents and refillers, whose income depended on the company’s foot traffic. Many expressed uncertainty about compensation or alternative arrangements.

Founded in 2013 to combat deforestation and promote clean cooking, KOKO raised over $100 million from investors including Microsoft Climate Innovation Fund, Verod-Kepple, and South Africa’s Rand Merchant Bank. Its smart meters allowed households to buy fuel in small amounts, making clean cooking affordable compared to LPG refills, which cost between KES 1,100 and KES 3,000 per cylinder.

The shutdown exposes the fragility of Kenya’s clean-cooking transition, which relies heavily on private companies, carbon financing, and stable supply chains. Customers now face difficult trade-offs between cost, convenience, and health, highlighting the challenges of scaling sustainable energy solutions in Africa.

Refillers report that households are improvising with mixed fuels, but the certainty and accessibility KOKO once provided have disappeared, leaving a gap in Kenya’s clean-energy landscape.