From weed to windfall: Women convert water hyacinth into clean fuel

On the shores of Lake Victoria in Homa Bay County, Kendu Bay, a quiet revolution is underway.

Women are turning a long-standing problem that has plagued fishermen, communities, and the environment into an opportunity for sustainable energy and income. The culprit? Water hyacinth, a fast-growing invasive aquatic plant that has choked fishing zones, disrupted transport, and invaded local beaches.

The solution? Eco-friendly briquettes made from the very same weed, offering a cleaner, safer, and sustainable alternative to traditional fuels.

According to Kenya’s National Cooking Transition Strategy 2024–2028, 68.5 per cent of the country’s 54 million people, including 7.4 million rural households, still rely on firewood, consuming an average of 5–10 kilograms per household per day, contributing to deforestation. The dual challenge of invasive species and unsustainable energy use has long threatened the environmental and economic stability of Homa Bay.

Enter Mary Otieno, a 62-year-old resident of Nyangajo Village in Kendu Bay, whose innovative approach is turning the tide.

Inspired by her daughter, who once ranked among the world’s top 50 young scientists, Mary began experimenting with using harvested water hyacinth to create cooking briquettes. “This idea started in 2018,” Mary recalls. “My daughter, through her research, taught me that this invasive weed could be converted into a clean source of energy. Once I tried it, I knew it could make a difference for our community.”

Mary’s vision quickly grew into a collaborative effort. She gathered a group of women in the village, sharing the idea and training them in the briquette-making process.

What began as a small initiative evolved into the Kanyadhiang Briquettes Nyale Community-Based Organisation (CBO), which now includes dozens of women across Nyangajo Village.

“We used to meet weekly in my home to learn from each other. Once the skills were mastered, we started producing briquettes not just for our households but for sale. This way, we addressed both the invasive weed problem and the demand for clean cooking fuel,” Mary explains.

Early in the morning, the women gather at Kendu Bay to harvest water hyacinth. With assistance from local beach boys, whom they compensate modestly, they collect the weed and transport it back to the village using tuk-tuks. The hyacinth is sun-dried, lightly heated in a steel tin to prevent environmental soot, and then combined with cassava porridge as a natural binder.

Using an electrically powered briquette machine donated by the German organisation GIZ, the mixture is compressed into uniform blocks, left to dry, and then ready for use in improved jikos (cooking stoves). A typical day’s work can produce eight to ten bags of briquettes, each capable of burning for up to eight hours.

Game changer 

“This is a game-changer,” Mary says. “In the past, women had to cook over firewood or charcoal, exposing themselves and their families to harmful smoke. Now, with these briquettes, we have clean energy, reduced dependence on forests, and a source of income. Our briquettes have even gone through KEBS standardisation and have been approved for wider use.”

The impact extends beyond environmental benefits. Local schools, including St Francis Nyangajo Girls, now rely on briquettes for daily cooking, reducing firewood consumption and protecting young girls and cooks from harmful smoke exposure.

Frederick Opondo, a teacher at the school, affirms, “We no longer use firewood for our kitchen operations. This initiative has greatly improved the safety and health of our students.”

Triza Awino, a climate change advocate and CBO member, emphasises the broader socioeconomic potential: “If the government supports these innovations, women could create employment opportunities for youth, reducing unemployment while protecting our natural resources.”

Mary’s husband, John Otieno, has also witnessed the transformation. “Mary’s initiative has solved a problem that has plagued us for years. We used to cut trees for cooking, but now the briquettes provide a sustainable alternative. We’ve also seen improvements in fishing, as the removal of hyacinth makes the lake more navigable.”

The journey, however, is not without challenges. The briquette machine relies on electricity, and solar panels are needed to ensure production during power outages.

Rainy seasons complicate harvesting, and the physical labour required to remove hyacinth from the lake is both dangerous and exhausting. “Sometimes, the water is unpredictable. Reptiles like snakes and crocodiles pose real threats during harvesting. It’s not easy work, but the benefits outweigh the risks,” Mary notes.

Beach Management Units (BMUs) in Kendu Bay, represented by Chairman Ibrahim Kasera, acknowledge the dual nature of the effort.

“While these women are addressing a critical environmental and energy need, the scale of water hyacinth infestation is immense. Their efforts are beneficial but cannot fully counteract the negative impacts on fishing and navigation,” he observes.

Tom Guda, National Chairman of BMUs, adds, “But water hyacinth is unpredictable you can wake up one morning and find it has returned in dense mats. In some areas, like the fire zone and certain gardens, it occasionally resurfaces, but for now, the problem is manageable.”

The presence of water hyacinth has serious implications for fishing and local economies. “Fishermen who rely on traditional fishing methods struggle when the water is dense. Gill nets can get tangled or swept away by wind, especially with papyrus and hyacinth growth. They often lose their nets, which represents a major financial loss,” Guda explains.

BMUs, which oversee fishing operations, also face disruptions. “When landing sites are blocked, the entire local market grinds to a halt. Small traders waiting for fish cannot operate, and BMUs lose revenue and the ability to provide security. Fishermen may be forced to dock in unmanaged areas, increasing risks of theft, boat damage, and accidents,” he adds.

Water hyacinth not only disrupts fishing but also poses serious safety risks. According to Guda, fishermen harvesting or navigating through dense mats are vulnerable to drowning, snake bites, and crocodile attacks.

The environmental context underscores the urgency of Mary’s innovation. Homa Bay County’s tree cover is only 3.18 percent, far below the recommended 10 per cent, with significant losses due to deforestation, wildfires, and encroachment.

Between 2001 and 2024, the county lost 2.5 kha of tree cover, resulting in 320 kt of Carbon dioxide emissions, according to Global Forest Watch. Overdependence on firewood and charcoal not only threatens forests but also contributes to carbon emissions and indoor air pollution. By replacing traditional fuels with hyacinth briquettes, local women are reducing pressure on forests and mitigating climate impacts.

According to Bernard Ojwang, Director for Environment, Kisumu City “Harvesting water hyacinth and converting it into products like briquettes, we can store water, reduce flood risk, improve oxygen levels in water, and protect fish and other aquatic biodiversity. This is very important for the environment,” he explains.

According to him, environmental awareness in Kisumu has improved over the years. “People are more conscious about waste management and cleaning public spaces. However, we are not yet at the minimum required standard, although there is a lot of improvement,” he says.

Lake Victoria itself has endured multiple ecological challenges due to water hyacinth. Introduced in the 1980s, possibly through Rwanda’s Kagera River, the plant spread prolifically due to a lack of natural predators, favourable temperatures, and nutrient-rich waters exacerbated by pollution.

By 1998, water hyacinth populations peaked, affecting the lake’s ecology and economy. Although mechanical harvesters like the Sh40 million machine donated to Kisumu in 2023 can clear large sections of the lake, local community-led efforts remain vital for sustainable management.

The benefits of converting hyacinth to briquettes are multifaceted. According to experts from the Kenya Renewable Energy Association, a typical Kenyan household consumes 5–10 kg of firewood daily, translating to 3.5 cubic meters annually. Shifting to hyacinth briquettes reduces deforestation, lowers greenhouse gas emissions, and decreases indoor air pollution.

Moreover, the Stockholm Environment Institute notes that scaling clean cooking initiatives, including solar ovens and biomass briquettes, could cut carbon emissions by 1.8 megatons by 2030, aligning with Kenya’s national energy transition goals.

Mary’s CBO has inspired other women to explore innovative uses of hyacinth. Some are making inorganic fertilizers further contributing to income generation and environmental protection.