U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton announced on September 21, 2010 the formation of the Clean Cooking Alliance, a more than $60 million dollar public-private partnership to save lives, improve livelihoods, empower women and combat climate change by creating a thriving global market for clean and efficient household cooking solutions.
There has been a combination of local input and international agency involvement, along with many others, who participated in developing The Kenya Ceramic Jiko (KCJ).
The stove is a portable improved charcoal burning stove consisting of an hour-glass shaped metal cladding with an interior ceramic liner that is perforated to permit the ash to fall to the collection box at the base. A thin layer of vermiculite or cement is placed between the cladding and the liner. A single pot is placed on the rests at the top of the stove.