Uganda’s Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development has urged households to switch to electric cooking and reduce their dependence on firewood and charcoal as part of efforts to cut emissions, protect the environment and improve public health.
Minister of State for Energy Sidronius Okaasai told Parliament’s Climate Change Committee on Thursday that the country’s continued reliance on biomass for cooking was slowing the transition to cleaner energy, Social News XYZ reported.
“The policy of the ministry is to move our population from that dirty energy which they use for cooking,” Okaasai said.
He said burning firewood and charcoal contributes to environmental degradation and exposes households to health risks, particularly women and children who spend more time near cooking areas.
The ministry is encouraging households connected to the national electricity grid to use electricity for cooking, with Okaasai saying a special cooking tariff makes it a competitive alternative to traditional fuels.
“There is a tariff for cooking. It is the lowest, lowest tariff that we have,” he told lawmakers.
The government is also promoting electric cooking in public institutions, including schools that have traditionally relied on firewood. Okaasai said the ministry was encouraging them to replace biomass with electricity.
The transition is also being extended to transport, with the government seeking to reduce dependence on petrol and diesel vehicles by promoting electric mobility and other low-carbon transport options.
Financing remains a challenge
Uganda estimates it will need about $28.1 billion to meet its climate commitments. Ministry officials told lawmakers that the main challenge is now securing the financing required to implement existing policies rather than developing new ones.
Brian Isabirye, commissioner in the Energy Resources Department, said Uganda already has a policy and legal framework that includes the Energy Policy 2023, Climate Change Act 2026 and Energy Transition Plan.
However, he said a substantial portion of the required funding would need to come from international climate finance.
Isabirye said the country’s energy transition must also support economic development as industrialisation, urbanisation and transport growth increase demand for electricity.
The ministry also said expanding renewable energy would require improvements to Uganda’s electricity grid. It said the growth of solar and wind power is increasingly being constrained by the transmission system’s ability to integrate new generation rather than a lack of renewable resources.
The government is therefore considering measures including battery storage, transmission upgrades, improved forecasting, dispatch optimisation, demand response and smart charging to increase grid flexibility.
MPs raise oil, affordability concerns
Climate Change Committee Chair Aggrey Bagiire questioned how Uganda would reconcile its planned oil production with its efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and promote electric vehicles.
“We are going to produce our oil, but talking about electric cars, how are you going to balance that since we are saying the carbon fuels are a greenhouse danger?” he asked.
Bagiire also questioned whether households could afford electric cooking appliances, despite the government’s push to expand their use.
Committee Vice Chairperson Shafigha Wanyenya raised concerns about government spending in areas that remain without electricity, while Moyo District Woman Representative Benadette Chandia Kodili called for stronger regulation of energy-efficient cooking appliances.
Chandia said the government should ensure that cooking equipment sold to consumers is genuine and meets required standards. She also said she was surprised to learn that electric cooking could be cheaper and said she planned to test it herself.
