Promoters of improved cook stove technologies (ICS) argue that the use of these technologies
offers several benefits such as improved health, fuel saving, reduction in green house gases
emissions among others. Many of the studies exploring the use of improved cook stoves
reveal a strong pro-diffusion bias towards these benefits, and few studies have investigated
the adoption and use of ICS from the adopter’s point of view. This qualitative case study
therefore attempted to understand the perceived factors that explicitly or implicitly influence
the adoption (or not) of Improved cook stoves at household level by listening to potential ICS
users. From the study, it was evident that adoption and sustained use of cook stoves is
complex and it necessities consideration of a wide range of factors which mutually the
influence house hold decision to adopt (or not) an improved cook stove. Consequently, this
study emphasized the need for those promoting ICS to have a deeper understanding of the
context in which potential adopters are part, and gain insight into the complex factors that
govern behavior and provide a basis for doing things in a certain way, in order to ensure
adoption and sustained use of ICSs and thereby realize it’s associated long term benefits.