Parliament suspends charcoal ban enforcement pending govt report

Parliament has suspended enforcement of the Government’s charcoal ban until October 21, 2026, giving the energy ministry time to explain measures being taken to provide affordable alternative cooking fuels to Ugandans.

The decision followed concerns raised by legislators on October 14, 2026, that enforcing the ban without adequate alternatives would expose millions of households that depend on charcoal and firewood to arrests and additional economic hardship.

Speaker of Parliament Jacob Oboth directed that enforcement of the ban be suspended until the government presents a comprehensive statement on the policy and the availability of alternative energy sources.

“I think government should come back next week on Wednesday on the issue of the ban and the extent of the performance by the ministry. So, between now and Wednesday, let’s first suspend the enforcement of that,” Oboth said.

He clarified that the decision was not an endorsement of charcoal use but a recognition of the practical difficulties of enforcing the restrictions when many Ugandans cannot afford alternative cooking fuels.

“I do that not because I support charcoal, but because I am aware how difficult it is going to be for the enforcers, beginning with Parliament. I don’t want to see members of Parliament being arrested,” he said.

The suspension followed concerns raised by Leader of Opposition Joel Ssenyonyi, who said recent government pronouncements threatening arrests of people transporting or selling charcoal had caused widespread public anxiety.

“We have seen pronouncements saying any cars moving around with charcoal, even if it’s for domestic use, and if you are found as a trader selling charcoal by the roadside, you are going to be arrested. That has caused a lot of alarm in the public out there, and maybe government needs to provide clarity,” Ssenyonyi said.

He said the Opposition supported government efforts to protect forests and restore the country’s depleted forest cover but argued that enforcement should be preceded by deliberate efforts to make alternative energy affordable and accessible.

“We do agree with government when it comes to conservation of the environment, protecting our forest cover because it has gotten depleted over time. However, it is important that when government issues such directives, it is followed up by certain actions,” he said.

“How aggressively are we making it possible for the ordinary persons out there to access alternative sources of energy? This directive was issued three years ago, so within these three years, what have we done? We need to try and avail these alternatives cheaply to Ugandans before we can heavily crack the whip.” Ssenyonyi added.

Ssenyonyi cited Uganda Bureau of Statistics data from a 2024 survey, which he said showed that between 87 and 94 per cent of Ugandans use charcoal and firewood for cooking.

He argued that the scale of dependence made an immediate blanket crackdown impractical, particularly among low-income households already struggling with high fuel prices and the cost of living.

“I dare say that maybe even 95 per cent of the MPs in this House use charcoal in their homes,” he said, adding that Parliament itself continued to rely on the fuel.

Ssenyonyi said the parliamentary canteen had used charcoal for years, with supplies reportedly delivered at night and over weekends.

His concerns were reinforced by Speaker Oboth, who said Parliament consumed more than 60 bags of charcoal, underscoring the challenge of enforcing a policy that even public institutions had not fully moved away from.

The Leader of Opposition further questioned how authorities would implement the restrictions when police officers and Uganda People’s Defence Forces personnel also depended on charcoal in their homes and barracks.

“The ban is on, people are going to be arrested. I think we are going to arrest everyone in this country,” Ssenyonyi said, warning that enforcement before the government clarified the rules could result in unnecessary arrests.

He said the government needed to distinguish between commercial-scale charcoal production, which contributes to deforestation, and small quantities used by households for cooking.

State Minister for Energy and Mineral Development Phiona Nyamutoro defended the government’s efforts to promote cleaner cooking technologies, saying the ministry was encouraging households to abandon charcoal in favour of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), electricity, ethanol and biogas.

Nyamutoro told Parliament that she had personally stopped using charcoal after joining the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development and urged legislators to follow her example.

“I used to use charcoal, but I want to confess that since joining the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development, I stopped, and I am one of the converts,” she said.

“I have since repented my sins, Right Honourable, and it would only be right that this House joins us in preaching the gospel against the use of charcoal across the country.”

She said the ministry had introduced measures to encourage the transition, including a special electricity tariff for cooking and the distribution of free LPG cylinders and accessories to stimulate adoption of cleaner energy.

Nyamutoro added that Uganda’s oil and gas projects at Tilenga and Kingfisher were expected to produce LPG, which could improve access to clean cooking fuel.

However, she acknowledged that the transition faced significant challenges, including the initial cost of cylinders and accessories, safety concerns surrounding gas and cultural barriers to adopting alternative cooking methods.

Through the ministry’s Clean Cooking Unit, she said, government was continuing to sensitise the public about the benefits and safe use of alternative energy sources.

The minister offered to return to Parliament with a comprehensive report detailing the government’s interventions, the areas covered by the distribution of LPG equipment and plans for expanding access to cleaner cooking technologies.

But Ssenyonyi said the measures were not yet sufficient to justify immediate enforcement of the ban.

He noted that LPG penetration remained at about 2 per cent, arguing that even households receiving free equipment would still have to pay for gas refills.

“While the kit is free, people eventually have got to pay for the gas going forward. And for many households, they just cannot afford this,” he said.

He urged the government to clarify what would happen to people using charcoal while Parliament awaited the minister’s report.

Government Chief Whip Dr Jane Ruth Aceng agreed that the issue required a careful, coordinated response, warning against abruptly cutting off a cooking fuel on which millions of households depend.

“As you have said, it is a whole-of-government approach, and we need to approach it in a phased manner. We can’t stop it outright,” Aceng said.

She said consultations would be held through the Office of the Leader of Government Business and the Ministry of Energy to develop a practical way forward.

Speaker Oboth directed the government to return to Parliament next Wednesday with a statement addressing the ban, the progress made in distributing alternative energy equipment and the ministry’s plans to improve access to affordable cooking fuels.

Northern Uganda legislator Gilbert Oulanya said President Museveni had previously directed that large-scale tree cutting in the region should stop while allowing people to continue cutting small quantities of wood for domestic use.

Oulanya said the distinction was important because the destruction of hundreds of hectares of trees for commercial charcoal production posed a different environmental threat from household consumption.