Moto Poa

During the recently concluded Nairobi International Trade Fair (popularly known as Nairobi Show) I happened on this very innovative cooker at the Tanzanian Stand. Selling under the brand of Moto Poa, the cooker uses a molasses jelly as fuel. The attendants at the stand didn’t know a word in English and they only volunteer that the bottled fuel is made from miwa. As they go on about this nishati mbadala (alternative fuel) I ponder about chances the East Africa Community has of integrating the three countries with such a wide gap in articulation of the same language spoken! I thought the jiko is innovative- once you load the jelly into the tray; you light up and get a blue flame with no soot at all. A one litre bottle of molasses costing 100/= can last a week of cooking for a family of four. They promised that the fuel would be available at Nakumatt soon. I tested the cooker last Saturday and it passed my test- no soot, no smell and no spills. My only problem is that I have no information on what the fuel is and whether it has any chemicals that could be harmful in a domestic setting. I have written to the manufacturers in TZ and hope to hear from them soon.

I will test it further when I go camping in the next few weeks and I hope to see how the cooker copes outdoors. When I googled moto poa, I stumbled on an editorial in the Tanzanian Daily News with a commentary on the cooker, thus:-

Yes to alternative fuel sources

The initiative by a local company, Trade Networks Limited (TNL), to produce ethanol-based jelly for cooking should be encouraged by both government authorities and consumers.
According to TNL officials, the company’s plant at Mikocheni in Dar es Salaam can produce about 2,000 tonnes of the fuel daily at full capacity, which is six times the nation’s current daily demand of kerosene.
In effect, the new energy source can replace kerosene, which is widely used for cooking throughout the country. When the bureau of standards and other agencies verify the efficacy of the fuel known as ‘Moto poa’ as well as its impact on the environment, there would be no reason why consumers should not adopt it instantly.
Apart from providing an affordable and user-friendly alternative to fuel wood and the now scarce kerosene, ‘Moto poa’ is used in stoves made by small industries, which would create several thousand jobs once the cooker becomes popular.
Consumers should likewise warm up to charcoal made from waste by a Tanga-based company, East African Briquettes Limited, which was showed at the just ended Dar es Salaam International Trade Fair.
The energy ministry and other relevant authorities should provide the necessary support to that company to expand production and marketing of the fuel source as directed by the Prime Minister, Mr Edward Lowassa.
The initiatives by the two companies should challenge scientific researchers in this country to re-orient their work towards resolving specific problems facing consumers.
Having said that, we should emphasise that the acute shortage of kerosene following the drastic reduction of levy on the imported petroleum product is scandalous and should be addressed urgently.
A survey carried out in Dar es Salaam by the Daily News showed that oil traders were avoiding the product because it was no longer profitable. Some claim they would incur big losses by selling old stock under the new lower price while others are reported to mix it with diesel to maximise profits.
The association of oil marketing companies has even suggested that some traders have re-exported old stocks to fetch higher profits across the border. All these are unfair and criminal practices, which must not go unpunished.
Oil trade is, indeed, lucrative, but supplying kerosene is also an essential service to consumers and protection to the environment.

http://www.dailynews-tsn.com/news.php?id=2246 Tuesday Oct 16, 2007