Kampala, Uganda, August 9, 2024 – A significant milestone in Uganda’s journey towards sustainable energy solutions was marked with the launch of the ‘Clean Cooking Program’ as organized by the UK Government, in partnership with the Government of Uganda through the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development’. This groundbreaking program aims to transform Uganda’s energy landscape, bringing cleaner, safer, and more sustainable cooking options to households across the country.

Seven in every ten households in Uganda (73%) use firewood for cooking while two in every ten households (21%) use charcoal [1] which contributes to air pollution and is harmful to the people. This £5m two-year programme aims to revolutionize the cooking practices in Uganda by introducing cleaner, more efficient cooking methods, to improve health, save energy, and protect the environment.

This programme has three (3) key components:

1. Establishment of a Clean Cooking Unit within the Ministry of Energy, through the Global Green Growth Institute Uganda Office (GGGI). This unit will lead the national clean cooking agenda, ensuring effective sector coordination and mobilizing additional financing to scale up Uganda’s clean cooking efforts.
2. Support of urban authorities within the Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area (GKMA)through ICLEI Africa (Local Governments for Sustainability – Africa) in their role as enablers of market-led clean cooking access to deliver solutions for at least 6,000 households (30,000 people) within the informal settlements.
3. Expansion of a Nationwide Sustainable Supply Chain and provide Capacity Building through Modern Energy Cooking Services Program (MECS).

During the launch key stakeholders from government, development partners, and the private sector underscored their dedication to fostering the growth of the energy sector and emphasized the programme’s potential to reduce reliance on unsustainable cooking methods, which have significant health and environmental impacts. “This programme is a crucial step forward, especially as traditional cooking methods become increasingly unsustainable, connecting people to clean energy alternatives is important,” Hon. Dr. Ruth Nankabirwa Ssentamu, Minister for Energy and Mineral Development remarked. “The UK Government is committed to making clean cooking a global priority and this involves aligning it with Uganda’s vision of 2030 to transition 65% of the population to cleaner cooking methods… clean cooking will play a pivotal role by contributing to energy efficiency, save time and money, safeguard people’s health; and contribute to environmental conservation which will enable Uganda in achieving this vision,” H.E. Ambassador Kate Airey, British High Commissioner to Uganda.

The launch was further marked by live cooking demonstrations where various Ugandan dishes such as matooke, rice, beans, meat & millet bread were prepared using the Electric Pressure Cookers (EPCs) hence showcasing the benefits of clean cooking which included convenience, efficiency, energy conservation, eco-friendly and sustainable way of cooking.

To accelerate the adoption of eCooking, across the country, a nationwide behavior change campaign will be rolled out. This campaign will target schools, cultural and religious institutions, and public spaces. In partnership with the National Renewable Energy Platform (NREP) and other key stakeholders, the campaign aims to promote the benefits and adoption of clean cooking technologies.

GGGI is committed to supporting the Government of Uganda in achieving its Vision 2030 and its targets of Clean Cooking Solutions (CCS) and Modern Energy Solutions (MECS) by 2040. This initiative is designed to significantly enhance knowledge-sharing and research opportunities, raise awareness, and create a strong demand for clean cooking technologies throughout the country to foster a national shift towards cleaner, more sustainable cooking practices paving the way for a healthier, more sustainable future for all Ugandans.