Clean cooking gains momentum as Ugandans embrace modern energy solutions

20 July 2025, 8:06 pm

By Annet Nakato

In a bid to further conserve the environment, many people have intensified efforts by adopting modern and improved cooking methods—known as clean cooking—using electricity, gas, biogas, and improved cookstoves.

Speaking to some beneficiaries of clean cooking technologies, Barbra Nankya, Head of Sanyu Babies Home, shared how the use of electric pressure cookers has significantly benefited them.

She explained that cooking with electricity or solar power has greatly reduced their expenditure and also takes less time to prepare meals compared with cooking using firewood or charcoal.

The National Renewable Energy Platform, which leads the promotion of these improved cooking solutions, continues to raise awareness about the benefits of adopting clean cooking methods. Syliver Muhumuza, from the platform, outlined ongoing efforts to sensitise the public.

“We are raising awareness and encouraging households to adopt these technologies. Clean cooking reduces indoor air pollution, a leading cause of respiratory illnesses, especially among women and children,” Muhumuza emphasised.

Uganda has one of the highest rates of biomass use in Sub-Saharan Africa, with over 90% of households relying on firewood and charcoal. This reliance has contributed to alarming rates of deforestation and health complications caused by smoke inhalation.

Clean cooking technologies are increasingly seen as a sustainable alternative. The government, in partnership with NGOs and private sector actors, is scaling up initiatives to make clean energy cooking more affordable and accessible, particularly in rural and peri-urban areas.

As more institutions and households embrace these innovations, Uganda moves closer to achieving its climate and energy goals, while offering healthier, more efficient options to its people. Clean cooking is no longer just a concept—it is a movement gaining momentum across the country.