Uganda: Government Subsidises Eco-Friendly Cooking Stoves By 50 Percent
The government is subsidising eco-friendly cooking stoves by 50 percent to make clean cooking more affordable and accelerate Uganda’s transition away from charcoal and firewood.
The shift is intended to reduce household exposure to harmful smoke, ease pressure on forests and curb environmental degradation.
Officials say wider adoption of cleaner cooking technologies will require affordable alternatives that can compete with traditional biomass.
There are growing calls for Ugandans to shift from charcoal and firewood for cooking as part of efforts to reduce environmental degradation and air pollution, particularly in densely populated areas.
While some Ugandans have embraced alternative cooking methods, a large percentage still relies on biomass, limiting the uptake of cleaner and more sustainable energy sources.
According to Roy Baguma, managing director of Uganda Energy Credit Capitalisation Company, only a small percentage of Ugandan households have adopted clean cooking, while more than 96 percent still rely on unsustainable forms of biomass.
Baguma said that, as part of efforts to propel Uganda’s transition to clean cooking and expand access to affordable green financing, Eco Group Ltd is manufacturing eco-friendly stoves that use reusable, smoke-free rocks instead of charcoal or firewood.
Maureen Katushabe, marketing manager at Eco Group Ltd, said the stoves have a durability of more than two years, making them not only sustainable but also more affordable over time.
The government has partnered with the company to subsidise the prices of the eco-stoves to encourage more Ugandans and small businesses to embrace clean cooking technologies.
Baguma said the subsidy is strictly available to Ugandan nationals and local households with National Identification Cards.
“The subsidy is strictly for Ugandan nationals or local homesteads with National IDs who can benefit from the arrangement,” Baguma said.
David Ucha, the managing director of Detra Energy and Environmental Contractors, said every stove has been reduced by 50 percent under the subsidy programme.
While touring the Eco Group Ltd manufacturing facility in Bujjuko, Mityana, Mawokota North MP Amelia Kyambadde underscored the government’s support for manufacturers and companies dealing in environmentally friendly products.
She also reiterated the government’s position against companies whose operations contribute to environmental degradation.
“Government is working hand in hand with local manufacturers to promote eco-friendly stoves,” Kyambadde said.
Although eco-stoves are considered an effective way of conserving the environment and provide a locally made clean cooking alternative, many Ugandans have been reluctant to embrace them because of the cost.
With the 50 percent subsidy, the government hopes to make the stoves more accessible and encourage more households and businesses to adopt cleaner cooking methods.
By Nile Post.
