Efforts ramped up towards cleaning cooking

A parliamentary committee on clean cooking is in the pipeline to promote clean cooking technologies in Uganda.

Gloria Birungi, the communication officer of Uganda National Alliance on Clean Cooking (UNACC), said the discussions are at an advanced stage between the inter-ministerial committee on clean cooking and Parliament.

"Parliament has agreed to form an inter-ministerial parliamentary committee on clean cooking," she told members of the alliance.

There will be a meeting to help chart a way forward as to whether a budget for clean cooking should be included in the next financial year.

The 4th clean cooking baraza was held in Kampala recently under the theme: "Clean cooking sector: Current marketing and challenges."

Statistics from the energy ministry indicate that exposure to cook-stove smoke affects 97% of Ugandans, contributing to 13,000 premature deaths annually.

Gloria Birungi, communications officer at Uganda National Alliance on Clean Cooking, speaks at the baraza. (Credit: Francis Emorut)

The renewable energy policy for Uganda has a goal of increasing the use of modern renewable energy from the current 4% to 61% of the total energy consumption by the year 2017.

However, the 2010 survey showed that the uptake of improved cook-stoves in Uganda stood at 8.5% as compared to 69.1% use of traditional three stone fire and 18.5% use of open charcoal stove. This trend is worrying and therefore the need for parliamentary committee on clean cooking to address it.

There has been concern over the high rate of charcoal burning across the country as a threat to the environment.

"In Gulu charcoal burning is at alarming rate. If this is not checked then the environment is destroyed," said Harry Oryema, the executive director of Greater Light Energy and Sustainable Systems.

On her part, Maria Rubahayo from Kuzooka Design Limited, said that despite the drive for the population to adopt clean cooking technologies, most of the people in rural areas can't afford a clean cooking stove at sh25,000.

But Moses Amone, general manager of Smart Home, disagreed, saying the impact caused by smoke from three stone fire to a person's health is enormous.

It's more expensive to treat respiratory-related illnesses caused by smoke, he reasoned.

Meanwhile, Justine Akumu, who is the energy officer at the ministry of energy, said government should enforce quality production of cook-stoves compared to what is now available in the market.

She encouraged the sector to take advantage of green financing so as to increase the uptake o renewable energy.