KOKO Networks
KOKO Networks was a Kenyan clean-cooking and distribution company that supplied bioethanol fuel through neighborhood retail kiosks.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
KOKO Networks was a Nairobi-based clean-cooking and consumer-distribution company built around replacing charcoal with liquid bioethanol. Founded in 2014, it developed a model in which compact cooking appliances were paired with a distributed fuel-refilling network. Customers could obtain bioethanol from automated dispensing stations installed in or near small neighborhood shops, allowing the company to serve dense urban communities without requiring conventional fuel retail infrastructure. The company's principal proposition was a bundled clean-cooking system. A household typically received a cooker, a fuel canister, and an initial supply of bioethanol, while subsequent fuel purchases were made in small quantities through KOKOpoints. This model was intended to make cleaner cooking more accessible to households that might otherwise rely on charcoal. Bioethanol was sourced through imports and through sugarcane-processing waste, including supply arrangements associated with Vivo Energy. The cookers were manufactured in India, and the company's dispensing machines were designed to resemble automated teller machines. The network reportedly operated hundreds of dispensers, including approximately 700 machines in 2019 according to reporting cited by Wikipedia. KOKO introduced its ethanol-cooking product gradually in Nairobi, beginning with a soft launch in 2017 and broader activity during 2018. It publicly launched the Nairobi service in July 2019. By 2021, the company had expanded its physical presence to Mombasa and began developing a broader retail proposition. In December 2021, it launched a platform intended to help small shops distribute products beyond bioethanol, seeking to use its neighborhood network as a wider consumer-goods channel. In 2022, KOKO announced plans to enter Rwanda in partnership with Dalberg Ventures. The business model depended heavily on carbon finance. KOKO stated that international carbon markets helped fund more than US$100 million in customer subsidies by August 2023. It sold carbon credits in South Korea and discussed potential activity in Singapore and Japan, while also working with South Africa's Rand Merchant Bank on carbon-credit sales. The model therefore combined consumer energy services with emissions-reduction claims and carbon-market revenues. In August 2023, KOKO said that it had surpassed one million customer households. It also reported approximately 1,800 employees and operations in eight Kenyan cities at that time. The company's later prospects were undermined by regulatory and supply problems. According to the cited Wikipedia account, KOKO announced its closure in 2026, attributing the decision to the Kenyan government's failure to authorize carbon credits and import permits for molasses-derived bioethanol. The closure was significant beyond the company itself because it raised questions about the dependence of clean-cooking ventures on carbon-credit monetization, government approvals, and reliable fuel imports. On 1 February 2026, PricewaterhouseCoopers took over operational administration, with Muniu Thoithi and George Weru appointed joint administrators. KOKO Networks is therefore best understood as a defunct clean-cooking and distributed-retail venture whose history linked household energy access, climate finance, and last-mile commerce.
History
KOKO Networks was established in 2014 in Kenya as a venture focused on clean cooking and the distribution of bioethanol fuel. Its central idea was to offer an alternative to charcoal, which is widely used for cooking but is associated with household air pollution, deforestation, and greenhouse-gas emissions. Rather than relying solely on conventional fuel retailers, KOKO developed a neighborhood-based network of automated dispensing machines known as KOKOpoints. These stations were generally placed in or near small shops in densely populated communities, allowing customers to purchase fuel in manageable quantities. The company's ethanol cooking product was introduced incrementally. KOKO soft-launched the service in Nairobi in 2017 and continued deployment during 2018 before publicly launching the product in July 2019. The offering combined a dedicated cooker with a fuel canister and an initial supply of bioethanol. The company described the system as a way to make clean cooking more convenient and affordable, particularly through subsidies supported by carbon-market revenues. Its dispensing equipment was designed for simple retail use and was compared in appearance to automated teller machines. KOKO's supply chain combined imported bioethanol with fuel derived from sugarcane-processing waste. The company had a partnership involving Vivo Energy for bioethanol supply, while its cookers were manufactured in India. By 2019, reporting cited by Wikipedia indicated that the company operated approximately 700 dispensing machines. KOKO expanded beyond Nairobi and had opened locations in Mombasa by 2021. In December of that year, it launched a retail platform aimed at small shops, broadening its ambitions from fuel distribution to a wider last-mile commerce model. In 2022, it announced plans to expand to Rwanda with Dalberg Ventures. Carbon finance became a defining part of the business. KOKO reported that international carbon markets financed more than US$100 million in customer subsidies by August 2023. It sold carbon credits in South Korea and described plans to pursue markets in Singapore and Japan. It also partnered with South Africa's Rand Merchant Bank on carbon-credit sales; the bank had separately invested in the company. In March 2025, the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency issued a 15-year political-risk guarantee valued at US$179.6 million for the company, according to the cited reference material. At its reported peak, KOKO claimed to have passed one million customer households in August 2023. It also stated that it employed approximately 1,800 people and operated in eight Kenyan cities in mid-2023. These figures reflected the scale of the company's attempted combination of household energy services, carbon finance, and digitally or mechanically enabled retail distribution. The model ultimately faced regulatory and operational constraints. In 2026, KOKO announced its closure, blaming the Kenyan government's failure to authorize carbon credits and import permits for molasses-based bioethanol. The development illustrated the vulnerability of carbon-financed clean-cooking businesses to regulatory decisions affecting both environmental credits and fuel supply. On 1 February 2026, PricewaterhouseCoopers assumed control of the company's operations, and Muniu Thoithi and George Weru were appointed joint administrators. KOKO Networks consequently moved from expansion-oriented clean-energy venture to an administered and defunct company.
- 2026
Closure and administration
[1]KOKO announces closure amid carbon-credit and bioethanol import-permit problems; PwC assumes operations on 1 February and appoints joint administrators.
- 2025
Political-risk guarantee issued
[1]The Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency issues a reported 15-year political-risk guarantee for KOKO valued at US$179.6 million.
- 2023
One-million-household milestone claimed
[1]KOKO states that its customer base has exceeded one million households.
- 2022
Rwanda expansion announced
[1]KOKO announces plans to enter Rwanda through a partnership with Dalberg Ventures.
- 2021
Mombasa expansion and retail diversification
[1]KOKO establishes locations in Mombasa and launches a small-shop retail platform for products beyond bioethanol.
- 2019
Public Nairobi launch
[1]The company's bioethanol cooking product is publicly launched in Nairobi.
- 2017
Nairobi soft launch
[1]KOKO begins a soft launch of its ethanol cooking-fuel service in Nairobi.
- 2014
KOKO Networks is founded
[1]The company is established in Kenya with a focus on clean cooking and bioethanol distribution.
Products and positioning
Clean-cooking and last-mile distribution provider focused on replacing charcoal with convenient, subsidized bioethanol fuel for urban and peri-urban households.
Clean-cooking appliance and fuel bundle · 2017
KOKO ethanol cooking system
KOKO's core household offering combined a purpose-designed ethanol cooker, a fuel canister, and an initial supply of bioethanol. The bundle was positioned as a practical substitute for charcoal cooking and was sold with customer subsidies linked to carbon-market revenues. Its value proposition centered on cleaner combustion, convenient refueling, and the ability to purchase fuel in relatively small quantities.
Cooking fuel · 2017
KOKO bioethanol fuel
KOKO supplied liquid bioethanol for household cooking through a network of automated neighborhood filling stations. The fuel was sourced from imports and from sugarcane-processing waste through supply arrangements associated with Vivo Energy. Customers could refill canisters at KOKOpoints rather than purchasing conventional charcoal or relying on centralized fuel outlets.
Fuel-distribution infrastructure · 2017
KOKOpoint dispensing stations
KOKOpoints were automated bioethanol dispensers placed mainly in dense neighborhoods and near small retail shops. Their ATM-like format supported self-service or assisted refueling and formed the physical backbone of KOKO's last-mile distribution model. The network was reported to include approximately 700 machines in 2019.
Neighborhood retail platform · 2021
KOKO retail platform
Introduced in December 2021, the retail platform was intended to help small shops distribute products beyond KOKO's own bioethanol offering. It represented an attempt to turn the company's neighborhood network into a broader consumer-distribution channel and reduce dependence on a single clean-cooking product category.
Brand decisions
2026
Closure and transfer to joint administrationOtherBackground
KOKO cited unresolved authorization for carbon credits and import permits for molasses-derived bioethanol as conditions undermining its operating model.
Action taken
The company announced its closure, and PricewaterhouseCoopers took over operations on 1 February 2026. Muniu Thoithi and George Weru were appointed joint administrators.
Aftermath
KOKO ceased operating as an active clean-cooking brand, while its administration highlighted the exposure of carbon-financed energy ventures to regulatory and supply-chain decisions.
2022
Planned expansion into RwandaStrategyBackground
After establishing a Kenyan operating base, KOKO sought to extend its clean-cooking model into another East African market.
Action taken
KOKO announced an expansion into Rwanda in partnership with Dalberg Ventures.
Aftermath
The announcement expanded the stated geographic scope of the business, but the available reference does not document the scale or outcome of the Rwandan operation.
2021
Diversification into neighborhood retailStrategyBackground
KOKO had built a network of neighborhood dispensing points around bioethanol cooking fuel and sought to use its relationships with small shops more broadly.
Action taken
The company launched a platform enabling small shops to distribute products other than bioethanol.
Aftermath
The move broadened KOKO's business proposition from clean cooking toward last-mile consumer distribution, although the later closure ended the platform's operation.
Recent events
Sources2 sources
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