From classroom to clean energy: Siaya teacher’s ethanol breakthrough

Richard Arwa at the distillery at Car Wash area in Kisumu City /FAITH MATETE

In the quiet rural village of Sidindi in Siaya county, what began as a simple classroom science experiment has evolved into a groundbreaking solution to reduce energy poverty, environmental degradation and unemployment.

It was in 2016, inside a modest laboratory at Mudhiora Secondary School, that chemistry teacher Richard Arwa, who is passionate about innovation, first noticed the damage potential of a local menace.

Together with his students, he began experimenting with the invasive water hyacinth plant that was choking nearby Lake Victoria.

Their goal was to find out if it could produce ethanol, a clean-burning fuel.

“We had spent years participating in science congress competitions, but this time we wanted something more practical,” Arwa tells the Star.

“We were tired of watching the lake suffocate. So, we asked, ‘Can this weed actually be useful?’ ”

After several failed attempts, they managed to extract a few millilitres of ethanol, enough to ignite a small blue flame.

That flicker sparked a vision that eventually would transcend the school walls and inspire a transformative business idea.

Science project lives on

The student-led project quickly gained attention during national science congress competitions, drawing praise and recommendations for further development.

For Arwa, the experiment was more than a one-off academic showcase; it planted a durable seed of innovation.

“When the National Environment Trust Fund put out a call for green innovations, I knew we had something worth submitting,” he says.

His successful entry earned him a spot in Netfund’s two-year incubation programme.

During that time, Arwa refined the concept and developed a new process for producing ethanol from non-traditional, cellulose-rich feedstock – primarily water hyacinth and sugarcane bagasse.

By using enzymes to break down plant fibres into fermentable sugars, he bypassed the need for costly molasses, on which most ethanol producers rely.

The success of the incubation marked the formal birth of Centre for Innovation, Science and Technology (Cist) East Africa, a clean energy company producing affordable, sustainable cooking fuel. Former science teacher Arwa is now proprietor and CEO of family-owned business.

From lab bench to market shelves

Introducing a new fuel into the market came with numerous challenges.

Arwa had to prove not only that his ethanol could be produced affordably, but also that it could compete with conventional fuels such as charcoal, firewood and kerosene.

“We didn’t know whether customers would embrace it,” he admits. With research support and technical backing, however, they scaled up from lab-level production to 2,000 litres.”

To ensure usability, Arwa imported ethanol-compatible cooking stoves from Tanzania. The response was positive, especially in informal settlements, where residents were desperate for cleaner and safer alternatives to smoky fuels.

Encouraged by the feedback, Cist East Africa took the next big step building one of Kenya’s few small-scale ethanol distilleries, equipped with triple distillation and molecular filtration systems to achieve fuel-grade purity of 99 per cent.

In 2020, the company relocated operations to Kisumu, setting up in an area with better access to raw materials, a skilled workforce and a ready market.

Today, Cist East Africa produces about 3,000 litres of ethanol daily, with ambitions to hit 5,000 litres in the coming year.

Energy for the people, by the people

Arwa’s focus has always been on accessibility. While a litre of ethanol retails at Sh100, the company has installed custom-built dispensers in low-income areas, such as Manyatta, Obunga and Nyalenda in Kisumu.

These dispensers allow customers to purchase as little as Sh20 worth of ethanol, making clean cooking fuel accessible to those on daily wages.

“This model gives people flexibility. You don’t have to save up Sh100. If you have Sh20, you still get clean energy. That’s where the transformation lies,” Arwa says.

This innovation has positioned ethanol as a viable competitor in the clean cooking fuel sector, traditionally dominated by LPG and charcoal.

With the World Health Organization linking indoor air pollution to more than 21,000 deaths in Kenya annually, it is more urgent than ever to use cleaner fuels.

Ethanol for transport?

Arwa is not stopping in the kitchen.

 In what could be a gamechanger for informal transport in Kenya, Cist East Africa is now testing ethanol as a fuel for boda bodas and tuk-tuks. Preliminary trials have shown promising results, with the first vehicles already running on ethanol blends.

“We’re finalising regulatory compliance. Our goal is to roll this out commercially by September. Fuel is one of the biggest costs for boda boda riders and if we can offer them something cheaper and cleaner, it changes everything.”

Cist East Africa has secured land in Rabuor, Kadibo subcounty, where it plans to expand its production facility.

However, Arwa envisions a franchise-based model for wider growth, enabling micro-distillers in rural and per urban areas to replicate the ethanol production process under Cist’s guidance.

“Instead of building massive ethanol plants like the ones sugar factories use, we’ll accredit small-scale producers who can operate in their communities,” he says.

“That way, we create jobs, cut costs, and keep the supply chain local.”

The company is also working on converting ethanol production byproducts into animal feed, creating an additional revenue stream while ensuring a zero-waste model.

While the private sector has made impressive strides, Arwa is calling on the government to do more to support clean fuels.

He urges policymakers to create a dedicated distribution and pricing framework for ethanol, similar to the one for kerosene.

“Kerosene distribution is widespread, even in the remotest villages, despite being expensive and polluting,” Arwa says.

“If we want to truly transition to clean energy, we need similar support systems for ethanol licensing, infrastructure, and subsidies.”

He says such investments would not only accelerate the country’s transition to clean energy but also reduce dependence on fossil fuels and help combat climate change.

Fueling a cleaner future

For now, the ethanol flames that started in a rural school lab are lighting up homes across Kisumu and possibly soon, engines too.

From creating safer cooking environments for families to opening new frontiers in biofuel transport, Arwa’s journey is proof that grassroots innovation can power national transformation.

“We’re not just selling fuel,” he reflects. “We’re reimagining energy, how it’s made, how it’s accessed, and who benefits from it.”