Beyond the charcoal ban: Ugandans need affordable ways to cook
There is therefore no single appliance that will suit every Ugandan kitchen. The appropriate choice depends on income, location, fuel supply, household size and the food being prepared. Some families will continue combining technologies as their circumstances change, writes Patricia K. Litho (PhD)
Dr Patricia Litho. (File)
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OPINION
By Patricia K. Litho (PhD)
The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development, which I speak for, has something of a love-hate relationship with the Ugandan public. Few ministries touch daily life as directly as we do: the fuel in your vehicle, the electricity in your business and the energy that cooks your supper. When any of these becomes expensive, unreliable or unavailable, public frustration quickly arrives at our doorstep. And, right now, there is plenty of it.
Ugandans want first oil, especially as rising fuel prices put pressure on household budgets. This milestone will mark the beginning of a new chapter, although its benefits will unfold over time. If the global conflict continues and the dollar rate against the shilling keeps rising, we remain public enemy number one.
Then there is the unstable electricity. We have explained the ageing infrastructure, the refurbishment underway and the damage caused by vandalism. But explanations cannot refrigerate a trader’s stock or keep a small workshop running. People understandably want results. Our responsibility is to accelerate improvements and communicate honestly about progress.
The suspension of mineral licensing, intended to bring greater order to the sector, has also made miners and investors anxious, as they want certainty about their livelihoods. The suspension establishes the need to shift from an application-driven licensing system driven by an applicant’s submission to a strategic approach that grants licenses based on an applicant’s contribution to the country’s economic transformation.
Today, however, let me turn to another thorny issue: the charcoal ban.
For a household wondering how to prepare tonight’s meal, a debate about institutional mandates offers little comfort. The question is immediate: if charcoal becomes harder to obtain or more expensive, what can we use instead?
Although the administration and enforcement of charcoal restrictions involve institutions beyond our ministry, access to cooking energy is clearly our responsibility. We must help Ugandans understand the alternatives and, more importantly, help make those alternatives affordable and available.
The environmental case for reducing unsustainable charcoal dependence is compelling. Forest destruction threatens water sources, agricultural productivity, biodiversity and livelihoods. Smoke from traditional cooking also carries serious health risks, with women and children often bearing the greatest exposure.
Yet charcoal supports livelihoods too. Producers, transporters, traders and retailers depend on this value chain. Households continue using it because it is familiar, accessible and often available in quantities they can afford that day. We cannot overlook those realities.
We must also communicate precisely. Restrictions on charcoal production and trade in specified regions, and measures affecting imports from South Sudan, are distinct matters. Public communication should make their scope and implementation clear, avoiding the impression that every restriction means the same thing everywhere. For the energy sector, the practical task is to expand people’s choices.
Electric cooking is one such choice. For households with a reliable connection, an electric pressure cooker can reduce the energy and attention required to prepare foods such as beans. It deserves consideration alongside the familiar hotplate when families assess cooking costs.
Electricity billing also needs clearer explanation. The Electricity Regulatory Authority’s cooking tariff arrangements provide a reduced rate for a specified consumption band; the rate does not apply to every unit a household purchases. Consumers need to understand their total bills when comparing options.
Equally, we must acknowledge the obvious concern: how does someone depend on electric cooking when power is unstable? Improving electricity reliability must accompany the promotion of electric appliances. A household’s hesitation is reasonable when an outage can interrupt supper.
Liquefied petroleum gas, or LPG, offers another option. It provides controllable heat and can serve households, restaurants and institutions. However, the initial cost of a cylinder, stove and accessories remains a barrier, while refilling requires money that some families struggle to set aside.
The Government’s LPG initiative targets the dissemination of one million cylinder kits and stronger storage and distribution infrastructure. Financing constraints remain and these must be addressed. Private-sector models that allow customers to pay for gas in smaller amounts could also help widen access.
Bioethanol offers opportunities to connect cooking energy with Uganda’s agriculture and manufacturing industries. Its expansion requires suitable appliances, dependable fuel distribution and prices consumers can sustain.
Biogas can be particularly suitable for livestock farmers and institutions with sufficient organic material, water and space. A well-designed and maintained system can turn waste into useful cooking energy. Its suitability must, however, be assessed at each site.
Briquettes and pellets made from suitable agricultural residues offer further opportunities, including for local enterprises. Their performance depends on fuel quality and compatible stoves. Improved biomass technologies can also help reduce fuel consumption during the transition, although an improved stove should not automatically be described as smoke-free.
There is therefore no single appliance that will suit every Ugandan kitchen. The appropriate choice depends on income, location, fuel supply, household size and the food being prepared. Some families will continue combining technologies as their circumstances change.
The Government’s role is to ensure that progression is easier. The Electricity Access Scale-Up Project has supported the distribution of more than 284,000 cooking technologies across several categories. Support has also reached schools, hospitals, restaurants and food vendors.
These interventions matter because the purchase price of an appliance can prevent a household from accessing potential savings over its lifetime. But distribution figures alone cannot tell the whole story. We must also establish whether equipment remains in use, whether fuel is available and whether users receive adequate support.
Through the “Kyuusa Enfumba Yo”; Change Your Cooking campaign, the energy ministry is promoting awareness of available options. Demonstrations should let people ask practical questions, compare costs and see familiar meals being prepared.
The next challenge is scale. Uganda’s clean cooking agenda targets 50% access by 2030 and universal access by 2040. Achieving this requires sustained investment in appliances, fuel supply, skills and distribution. The ministry is advancing a proposed National Alternative Cooking Acceleration Programme for Cabinet consideration. It seeks to bring together more affordable technologies, supply infrastructure, domestic manufacturing and financing, while supporting people whose livelihoods are affected by changes in the charcoal trade.
Charcoal traders, for example, should have opportunities to participate in emerging cooking-fuel and appliance businesses. Technicians need skills to install, maintain and repair new systems. Schools and hospitals need financing arrangements suited to their budgets. The public will ultimately judge this transition at the cooking pot. Can a family prepare its meals affordably? Can a school feed its pupils reliably? Can a food vendor remain in business? Those are the measures of success.
Our duty is to ensure that protecting Uganda’s forests goes hand in hand with protecting Ugandans’ ability to cook. Every household deserves a practical route towards safer, affordable and reliable cooking energy and a clear explanation of how to get there.
The writer is the assistant commissioner of communication and information management at the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development