The Upesi is designed for one pot, but two or more stoves can be installed side by side so that the cook can
use more than one pot. The stove's three strong pot rests can support a range of commonly used pots, with
round and flat bottoms. However, it is unsuitable for very small pots, or very wide ones such as the
Ethiopian mtad.
Fig.1.2. A Upesi stove
History of the Upesi stove
The Upesi was developed in the mid-1980s, as part of the Special Energy Project that was run by the
Kenyan Ministry of Energy and the German government agency, GTZ. The Kenyan national women's
organization, Maendeleo ya Wanawake, helped to design the stove, and as a result the Upesi began its life
as the "Maendeleo". The name "Upesi" - a Swahili word meaning "fast" - was adopted in the early 1990s to
make the stove more marketable.
Early tests by the Special Energy Project showed that, compared with the three-stone open fire, the Upesi
consistently used over 40 per cent less fuel. Further tests have shown that it reduces smoke by up to 60
per cent. Many users report that they are also able to cook much more quickly on an Upesi than on an open
fire. The main disadvantage of the Upesi is that it gives out less light and heat than an open fire. This can
be a major problem in highland areas. Cooks may also have to cut their fuel into small pieces so that it will
fit into the stove.
GTZ began training small-scale businesses in central
Kenya to produce Upesi stoves. In west Kenya,
Intermediate Technology Development Group (ITDG)
and its local partner, Kenya Energy and Environment
Non-governmental Organizations (KENGO), trained
groups of women potters, including the Keyo Women's
Group, which is one of Kenya's largest stove producers.
The stoves were originally distributed by the Ministry
of Agriculture's extension agents, the Home Economics
Officers (HEOs). They sold them, with the help of
transport subsidies from the Special Energy Project,
for "less than the price of a chicken". This made many
people aware of the stove, but distribution was limited
and production was slow. In 1992, ITDG carried out a
marketing study to establish how best to market the stove
Fig. 1.3 A Upesi stove for less than the
Price of a chicken