PwC Takes Over as KOKO Networks Enters Administration

In a move that has sent shockwaves through Kenya’s urban energy and real estate sectors, clean cooking pioneer KOKO Networks has officially entered administration, with PricewaterhouseCoopers taking control of the company. The development marks a dramatic turning point for a startup that was once widely praised as a symbol of sustainable urban living and innovation in East Africa, particularly within Nairobi’s rapidly growing apartment and low-income housing market.

For many developers, landlords, and property managers, KOKO was not just another technology startup but an essential utility provider. Its bioethanol fuel dispensers, commonly known as Points, became familiar fixtures in residential courtyards, neighborhood kiosks, and modern apartment blocks across Nairobi. The company’s clean cooking ecosystem is estimated to have served more than 1.3 million households, making it a critical component of Kenya’s evolving urban housing infrastructure.

The collapse of the company appears to have been driven by a combination of regulatory challenges and mounting financial pressure. At the core of KOKO’s business model was the use of international carbon credits to subsidize stove prices and keep ethanol fuel affordable for households. This strategy depended on securing a Letter of Authorization from Kenya’s Ministry of Environment to allow the sale of carbon credits abroad. In late January 2026, the Ministry reportedly declined to issue the authorization, cutting off what had become the company’s primary revenue stream.

KOKO was also facing significant supply-side constraints. Since April 2024, the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority has suspended the importation of bioethanol, forcing the company to rely on a more expensive local supply. This shift squeezed profit margins and contributed to frequent fuel shortages across Nairobi’s estates, further weakening the firm’s operational stability and customer confidence.

The financial strain reached a breaking point on January 31, 2026, when more than 700 employees were laid off after the board concluded that the business could no longer operate as a going concern. Soon after, PwC administrators Muniu Thoithi and George Weru were appointed to take over management and assess whether the company could be restructured or whether its assets would need to be sold.

For the construction and property management sectors, the administration of KOKO raises immediate and practical concerns. Many modern low-cost and mid-rise housing projects were designed with ethanol stoves in mind, reducing the need for charcoal storage spaces and bulky LPG cylinders. With the company now under administration, the long-term maintenance and usability of these stoves remains uncertain for both developers and tenants.

Landlords and caretakers who host KOKO fuel dispensers on their premises are also facing a lack of clarity. With PwC now in control, decisions must be made on whether the business can be rescued through restructuring or whether its infrastructure, including thousands of fuel dispensers, will be liquidated to settle creditor claims and outstanding obligations.

There are wider urban planning implications as well. If the ethanol supply is disrupted, more than a million households may revert to charcoal or kerosene for cooking. In high-density residential buildings, this raises serious concerns around fire safety, indoor air quality, and ventilation, undermining progress made toward safer and cleaner urban housing.

As PwC works through the administration process, the future of KOKO Networks remains uncertain. For now, the thousands of ethanol Points spread across Kenya’s urban landscape stand as a reminder of both the promise and fragility of the green energy transition, and the close link between clean cooking solutions and the country’s rapidly changing real estate sector, an increasingly urbanised economy shaped by policy and investment.