Premier Robinah Nabbanja of Uganda has called on the international community to support efforts aimed at increasing the use of electricity for cooking. Addressing the Global e-Cooking Coalition during the COP28 conference in Dubai, Nabbanja emphasized the urgency of electrifying cooking as a just and sustainable path towards achieving net-zero emissions.
The Global e-Cooking Coalition, consisting of governments, international agencies, and private philanthropists, saw pledges totaling around $30 million during the session. The UK government pledged $15 million, while Germany committed Euros 10 million (approximately sh40.7 billion) to advance initiatives promoting electric cooking and addressing the environmental and health impacts associated with traditional cooking methods.
During her presentation, 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. She pointed out the severe health consequences, with over 22,000 annual deaths, primarily affecting women and children, according to World Health Organization statistics.
Nabbanja outlined Uganda’s Vision 2040, emphasizing the need for clean, affordable, and reliable energy. The government aims to increase access to the national electricity grid to 80% by 2040. She detailed efforts to reduce reliance on biomass energy, with a target to cut its share from 89% to almost 50% by 2025 and 100% by 2040, as outlined in the Third National Development Plan.
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. Nabbanja expressed the government’s commitment to accelerating the adoption of e-cooking solutions from 1% to 38% by 2030, aligning with Uganda’s goals to increase 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 assured that the government had developed a strategy to address these hurdles. She commended the Global e-Cooking Coalition for its ambitious program and affirmed Uganda’s dedication to ensuring universal clean cooking access for the betterment of its citizens’ livelihoods.
