In February, three people died in Mukuru slums in Nairobi, due to carbon monoxide poisoning as they were boiling githeri (a mixture of beans and maize), on a jiko. However, the colourless gas is ...

The aluminium birika, now common in rural tea kiosks, was used to prepare tea atop the charcoal jiko. That meant one ... tasted so different from today’s gas or kerosene affairs; it’s hard ...