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Premier Robinah Nabbanja has appealed to the world to support efforts that will enable more people to use electricity for cooking.

The Ugandan official made the call at the ongoing COP28 conference in Dubai, Nabbanja addressed the Global e-Cooking Coalition on Tuesday, December 5, 2023.

This coalition comprises governments, international agencies, and private philanthropists. They were present at COP28 to address critical issues related to clean energy and environmental sustainability.

During the coalition's session, pledges totaling about $30m (sh113b) were realised. The UK government pledged $15m and Germany pledged Euros10m (about sh40.7b) toward advancing initiatives to electrify cooking and combat the adverse environmental and health impacts associated with traditional cooking methods.

"I'm delighted to discuss a topic of great importance and urgency — electrifying cooking as a just journey towards net zero," Nabbanja said, setting the stage for a comprehensive overview of Uganda's initiatives and challenges.

The session was attended by Uganda’s energy minister Ruth Nankabirwa, energy ministry permanent secretary Eng. Irene Bateebe and Uganda’s Ambassador to the UAE, Zaake Kibedi.

Nabbanja highlighted Uganda's significant challenge, where over 89% of the population still relies on firewood and charcoal for cooking, leading to high deforestation rates.

Citing World Health Organisation statistics, she revealed the devastating impact on public health, with over 22,000 annual deaths, mainly affecting women and children.

Emphasising the urgency of addressing these challenges, Nabbanja outlined Uganda's Vision 2040, specifying the need for clean, affordable, and reliable energy.

"My Government shall require 52,481MW by 2040," she said, underscoring the commitment to increasing access to the national electricity grid to 80% by 2040.

She detailed Uganda's efforts to reduce reliance on biomass energy, highlighting the Third National Development Plan's target to cut its share from 89% to almost 50% by 2025 and 100% by 2040.

She said the Energy Policy for Uganda (2023) seeks to create a comprehensive framework for the clean cooking sector, complete with fiscal incentives to encourage private sector involvement.

"We aim to accelerate the adoption of e-cooking solutions from 1% to 38% by 2030," she said. This strategy, she stressed, aligns with Uganda's commitment to triple achievements in per capita electricity consumption, expand clean cooking access, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Acknowledging challenges such as high costs and supply chain issues for efficient electric cooking appliances Nabbanja noted that the government had developed a strategy to address these hurdles.

She commended the Global e-Cooking Coalition for its ambitious program.: "Uganda remains committed to ensuring universal clean cooking access for the betterment of the livelihoods of her citizens".