The government has introduced a 50 percent subsidy on eco-friendly cooking stoves to make clean cooking technology more affordable for households and businesses still dependent on charcoal and firewood.
The initiative is aimed at accelerating Ugandaโs transition to cleaner cooking methods while reducing household exposure to harmful smoke, easing pressure on forests and addressing environmental degradation and air pollution, particularly in densely populated areas.
Officials say the widespread adoption of clean cooking technologies will depend on the availability of affordable alternatives that can effectively compete with traditional biomass. Although some Ugandans have adopted alternative cooking methods, a large proportion of households still rely on charcoal and firewood.
According to Roy Baguma, Managing Director of Uganda Energy Credit Capitalisation Company, only a small percentage of Ugandan households have adopted clean cooking technologies, while more than 96 percent continue to rely on unsustainable forms of biomass.
As part of efforts to promote clean cooking and expand access to affordable green financing, Eco Group Ltd is manufacturing eco-friendly stoves that use reusable, smoke-free rocks instead of charcoal or firewood. Maureen Katushabe, the companyโs Marketing Manager, said the stoves have a durability of more than two years, making them a sustainable and more affordable option over time.
The government has partnered with the company to subsidise the stoves in a bid to encourage more Ugandans and small businesses to adopt cleaner cooking technologies. Baguma clarified that the subsidy is strictly available to Ugandan nationals and local households with National Identification Cards.
โThe subsidy is strictly for Ugandan nationals or local homesteads with National IDs who can benefit from the arrangement,โ Baguma said.
David Ucha, Managing Director of Detra Energy and Environmental Contractors, said the subsidy has reduced the price of every stove by 50 percent.
During a tour of the Eco Group Ltd manufacturing facility in Bujjuko, Mityana, Mawokota North MP Amelia Kyambadde highlighted the governmentโs support for manufacturers and companies producing environmentally friendly products. She also reiterated the governmentโs position against business operations that contribute to environmental degradation.
โGovernment is working hand in hand with local manufacturers to promote eco-friendly stoves,โ Kyambadde said.
While eco-stoves offer a locally manufactured alternative for conserving the environment and promoting clean cooking, cost has remained one of the major barriers to their wider adoption. The government subsidy is therefore intended to make the technology more accessible and encourage more households and small businesses to move away from charcoal and firewood.
