BY NDUGU ABISAI (Daily Nation)
At Olex Techno, non-carbonised briquettes are compressed from raw agricultural residues such as rice husks, sugar cane bagasse and sawdust
Just outside Kisumu City to the south, Alex Odundo, founder of Olex Techno, is redefining the concept of waste in a region that has long depended on firewood and charcoal. He is on a bold mission, which is not apparent from his modest workshop. He and his team are turning agricultural and industrial waste into clean, affordable fuel for households, hotels, schools and small businesses.
“I started this business immediately after college,” says Alex, who has a penchant for innovation. His workshop— even in its modest state—boasts fabricated machinery that is useful not only for his work, but also for other industries in Kisumu and beyond.
“I wanted to create job opportunities and solve the problems I saw around me. At that time, there was a serious fuel crisis. Charcoal and firewood were becoming scarce, and the government had imposed restrictions for environmental reasons. We had to think differently.”
Reliance on charcoal and firewood in Kenya has, for decades, put strain on both forests and household incomes. Kisumu, situated on the shores of Lake Victoria, has not been immune to this issue. Fish fryers along the lake, local hotels and families all depended on these traditional fuels despite the rising costs and health hazards of smoky kitchens. “Anytime you want to eat, you must cook. And when you think about cooking, you think about firewood, charcoal, or gas.
For many people here, gas was too expensive. Firewood meant cutting trees, and charcoal meant the same. We asked ourselves: what if we turned waste into fuel?” he says. It was this question and its answer that led to the creation of Olex Techno’s flagship product: non-carbonised briquettes. Unlike carbonised briquettes, which resemble charcoal, these are compressed from raw agricultural residues such as rice husks, sugarcane bagasse and sawdust, without first converting them into carbon. The result is a compact, firewood-like block that burns cleanly and efficiently. The process is deceptively simple. Agricultural residues and sawdust, which are often discarded or burned as waste, are collected and dried. They are then compressed under high pressure into dense blocks. “We call them non-carbonised briquettes because we don’t burn the raw material before moulding. The product burns with no smoke, unlike charcoal or firewood. And our customers tell us they save almost 50 percent compared to what they used to spend on cooking fuel.”
His lifelong solution-oriented mission didn’t stop there. To ensure the briquettes worked effectively, Olex Techno developed custom stoves designed for their product. These stoves are slightly more expensive than conventional ones, but they pay for themselves through long-term savings. Enter the Kenya Climate Innovation Centre (KCIC). With their technical and financial support, Olex Techno was able to design, test and manufacture stoves tailored for their briquettes. “KCIC helped us acquire our machines and even expand the number of stoves we produce,” Says he “They’ve walked with us not just technically, but also in business thinking. Honestly, we wouldn’t be here without their support.”
For Alex, the venture goes beyond fuel. It is about livelihoods. Olex Techno directly employs about seven young people, with many more benefiting indirectly across the value chain. “We have people drying the raw materials, others collecting waste, some working on the machines, and others in sales and marketing,” he explains. “It’s a whole chain of operations. Most of them are youth and women, because this work needs their energy and creativity. For me, that’s one of the biggest achievements—creating jobs.”
The company’s products have also found an unexpected early market among women who fry fish along Lake Victoria. Traditionally, these women have relied on firewood to fry fish for customers passing through the lakeside stalls. Olex Techno is positioning these women as early adopters of their invention. “They use a lot of firewood,” explains Alex. “If they switch to briquettes, they save money and attract the attention from customers, because people ask about the fuel. That’s how the word spreads.” Despite its promise, the road for Olex Techno has been far from smooth.
Like many start-ups, financing remains a thorn in their flesh. “When you start small, nobody wants to give you a loan for such a business,” Alex admits. “We struggle to do marketing ourselves. Sometimes, we even give out products for free, just so that people can try them and believe in them. It takes resources, and resources are always a challenge.” Transport costs are another challenge. It is costly to collect waste from rice mills, sugar factories and furniture workshops because the raw material is bulky.
“Also, at the collection point, waste has no value. It only gains value once we bring it to the site and turn it into briquettes,” he says. “But hiring trucks is expensive, and it pushes up the cost of the final product. That affects our competitiveness.” Another challenge is raising awareness. Many customers are still unfamiliar with briquettes. Convincing them to switch from charcoal and firewood requires demonstrations, exhibitions and patience. This is where KCIC’s support has been transformative. As well as funding machines, they have provided capacity building in investor readiness, financial management and legal compliance through the SWIFT programme.
These interventions have enabled Olex Techno to prepare for growth. “We’ve received training that opened our eyes,” he explains. “They prepared us not just technically, but also in business strategy. We are better prepared for the future because of them.” Olex Techno has also collaborated with the Kenya Industrial Research and Development Institute (Kirdi) on research and process improvement. These partnerships have boosted the enterprise’s technical credibility and operational capacity.
Olex Techno’s marketing strategy combines innovation with pragmatism. The team attends exhibitions, sets up demonstrations in open-air markets and engages directly with potential customers. However, Alex is also pragmatic about building a customer base. “One of our strategies is to work with women who already sell charcoal. Instead of stopping their trade immediately, we give them briquettes to sell alongside. Over time, as briquettes become popular, they shift from charcoal to briquettes. That way, they don’t lose income, and we gain new markets.”
Alex’s vision extends beyond Kisumu. In the short term, he wants Olex Techno to become the region’s leading producer of briquettes. In the longer term, he dreams of expanding into other countries and establishing briquettes as a widely accepted alternative to wood fuel.
“Our goal is to drastically reduce the use of firewood and charcoal in Kenya. If we can scale this up, we will conserve forests, reduce carbon emissions, and make cooking more affordable for households. Cooking is universal. Unless we solve this problem, we won’t achieve our goals for environmental conservation.”
Through his mission of climate-smart innovations in Kenya, he has been working to bridge waste management, clean energy and livelihoods, and showcase the pivotal role that small, community-rooted businesses can play in the country’s green transition. “We are turning waste into wealth. And in the process, we are giving people cleaner kitchens, cheaper meals, and a healthier environment. With the right support, this can transform not just Kisumu, but the whole country,” he concludes.
