Yvonne Mose, the founder of MOMA Renewable Energy, is transforming food waste into affordable, clean cooking fuel, driving Kenya’s clean energy shift.
Founded in 2022, MOMA Renewable Energy is redefining how households and small industries access energy by converting organic waste into bioethanol fuel. The company’s innovation sits at the intersection of clean technology, circular economy systems, and social impact, addressing Kenya’s energy poverty while reducing environmental pollution.
Across Kenya, more than 80% of households still rely on charcoal, firewood, or kerosene for cooking, fuels that contribute to indoor air pollution, deforestation, and rising household costs.
MOMA Renewable Energy offers a sustainable alternative: bioethanol fuel produced from food waste and agricultural byproducts. This clean-burning fuel reduces carbon emissions by up to 73% compared to kerosene and eliminates the harmful smoke associated with traditional cooking methods.
Since its launch, the company has already processed over 1,800 tons of food waste, produced more than 100,00litresrs of clean fuel and served over 4,500 recurring customers. Beyond energy production, MOMA is also improving sanitation by diverting waste from landfills and repurposing it into valuable resources.
A Circular Economy Model with Social Impact
What makes MOMA Renewable Energy unique is its fully circular system. Food waste is collected, processed into bioethanol, and the by-products are reused as organic fertiliser and Animal feeds. This ensures zero waste output, making the model environmentally regenerative. The company’s decentralised production units are modular, low-cost, locally fabricated and easy to maintain and scale.
MOMA also integrates a strong social mission by creating employment opportunities for women and survivors of gender-based violence (GBV) in rural Kenya, ensuring that clean energy growth also drives inclusive development.
Scaling Across Kenya and East Africa
MOMA Renewable Energy is now expanding its footprint through partnerships with market traders, food processors, and cookstove distributors.
One of the company’s most impactful innovations is its on-site production model, where food waste is collected directly from local markets and converted into fuel at the source. This decentralised approach reduces transport costs, strengthens waste management in informal settlements, and creates new income opportunities for waste collectors.
With growing demand for clean cooking solutions across the region, the company is now positioning itself for expansion across East Africa, targeting households, small industries, and urban informal markets with affordable, sustainable energy alternatives.
Challenges and Lessons as a Female Founder
Building a renewable energy company in a male-dominated sector has not been without challenges. According to Mose, access to financing, technical scepticism, and limited investor confidence in women-led energy ventures remain significant barriers.
However, she has overcome these challenges through:
• Strong technical expertise in biofuels and waste systems
• Strategic partnerships and mentorship
• A focus on measurable impact and scalability
Her journey reflects a broader truth: credibility in energy is built through execution, resilience, and results, not gender.
Through MOMA Renewable Energy, Yvonne Mose is not only building a business but also reshaping who participates in Africa’s energy transition.
Her leadership has inspired: More women to enter renewable energy fields, youth-led innovation in waste-to-energy systems and community-driven environmental solutions.
She has also participated in programs such as the Women in Tech Incubator Programme, which has provided funding, mentorship, and ecosystem access to scale her impact.
Looking ahead, MOMA Renewable Energy aims to:
• Expand across East Africa
• Partner with large-scale cookstove distributors
• Scale industrial biofuel supply chains
• Strengthen decentralised clean cooking infrastructure
The long-term vision is bold but clear: to replace polluting cooking fuels with affordable, clean, locally produced energy across Africa.
Inspiring the Next Generation
For Yvonne Mose, the mission goes beyond energy; it is about empowerment.
Her message to young African women is simple but powerful:
Be fearless in solving the problems you see around you. Your ideas matter, your voice matters, and Africa needs your leadership.
Yvonne Mose is part of a new generation of African innovators proving that sustainability and social impact can go hand in hand.
Through MOMA Renewable Energy, she is not only addressing Kenya’s energy challenges but also building a model for clean cooking that could transform communities across Africa.
Her work stands as a powerful example of how innovation, inclusion, and sustainability can reshape the future of energy on the continent.
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