Kadogo gas a big relief for slum residents

For a long time, 50-year-old Mariam Omar who lives with her family in Kibra had been buying 13kg cooking gas at Sh2,200.

However, recently when fuel prices went up, the cost of the gas shot up to Sh3300, forcing Mariam to start using alternative fuel.

“The exponential price hike was untenable for many Kenyans. You can imagine how badly hit slum dwellers like me,” she said.

When M-Gas introduced the pay-as-you-use Liquid Petroleum Gas, Mariam jumped at the opportunity.

“M-Gas is like kadogo gas. Since I cannot afford to refill a 6kg gas cylinder at Sh1550, I buy gas worth Sh100 and use it," she said.

"It is still very expensive but quite manageable for people without a stable income.”

Mariam used to sell mandazi outside her house but eventually closed down the business a few months ago when the prices of wheat flour and cooking oil went up.

“With the rise in the cost of living, I started making loses. In Kibra, you cannot increase the cost of products like mandazi because no one will buy," she said.

"Neither can you reduce its size as it is already too tiny.”

The mother of three said she however continues to use M-Gas for cooking as that is what the family can afford.

M-Gas was introduced in the Kenyan market in 2020, working in partnership with Safaricom to provide gas to people, especially those in informal settlements, to help eliminate the use of unclean fuel.

According to 2019 Kenya Population and Housing Census, 21,560 Kenyans die each year from cooking with traditional fuels like charcoal and firewood.

When you apply for M-Gas from their website, the company issues you with a gas cylinder, burner, smart meter and key card.

These are not paid for upfront but deducted from your account in instalments, to allow as many clients as possible acquire it.

The cost of the M-Gas is Sh80.4 per 300 grammes of LPG. With M-gas, you can pay just for the gas you need at that moment.

The smart meter is connected to M-Pesa and allows you to buy as little as a shilling credit, which reflects in your M-Gas account.

Though the company allows you to buy gas worth a shilling, when we loaded Sh50 to Mariam’s gas, we were only able to fry Sukuma wiki and boil four cups of water before it ran out.

This happened when the burner was set to moderate flame.

How it works

The M-Gas users interviewed do not know how much is deducted or what the total cost is because it is the company that manages their expenditure.

M-Gas officials ignored email and calls from the Star to respond to the allegations levelled against them.

“I do not know how much I have spent since the gas was installed, unless I go to Safaricom and get an M-Pesa statement,” Mariam said.

You will then be required to pay for the gas you use. You can pay as little as Sh20, depending on what you want to cook.  

The process of buying the gas is almost similar to buying Kenya Power prepaid tokens. You top-up money to your M-Gas account and it reflects on the meter before the gas is discharged for use.

Once the amount paid runs out, the gas will stop being discharged from the cylinder.  

When the gas in the cylinder is three-quarter way used, the smart meter will automatically detect that the gas will run out soon and alert M-Gas technicians to deliver it to your home without you having to call them.

However, you can still monitor the amount of gas in the cylinder or credit you have left in your M-Gas account using the smart meter.  

Since its launch in January 2020, M-Gas has been expanding its services within informal settlements in the city with a goal of reaching 20,000 households by October 2022.

By July 2021, the company had already enrolled more than 6,500 customers who have logged more than 200,000 cooking hours.

The main depot is in Nairobi’s Mukuru Kwa Njenga neighbourhood. In subsequent phases, Circle Gas will expand its solution to more areas within Nairobi and to the rest of the country.

Before moving to a new location, you must confirm with M-Gas if they are able to continue providing their services. Otherwise, the gas will not be dispensed even after making payments.

You cannot relocate with Safaricom M-Gas and continue using the gas without their permission. It will not work.

One must also notify the company of his or her new location so that they can inspect the area for re-installation.

You are not allowed to lend, change registration phone number, disconnect, or dispose of M-Gas equipment without permission.  

If you try to modify M-Gas and, in the process, you damage it, then you will pay Sh10,000 to replace the equipment. You may be charged Sh100 for replacement of the key card if you lose it.  

If you do not use at least Sh500 in one month, then M-Gas equipment may be recovered from you. 

However, The Star spoke to a number of clients who said they have not used the gas for more than four weeks.

 

(edited by Amol Awuor)

“WATCH: The latest videos from the Star”