Ministry of Energy Urges Rukungiri Residents to Adopt Clean Cooking for Health and Environment

Rukungiri: The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development (MEMD), through its National Renewable Energy Platform (NREP), has called on Rukungiri residents to become champions of clean cooking in order to fight poverty, improve health, and protect the environment.

The campaign seeks to reduce dependence on traditional cooking fuels like firewood and charcoal, which cause indoor air pollution, deforestation, and long-term health problems.

Speaking during the engagement which was held on September 24, at Rukungiri municipality, Dr. Paul Nduhuura from MEMD said adopting clean cooking technologies such as Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), electric pressure cookers, and biogas can help families save money, reduce cooking time, improve health, and promote environmental conservation.

He noted that the campaign’s goal is to empower households and institutions to embrace cleaner and safer cooking methods as part of Uganda’s wider sustainable development agenda.

Rukungiri Municipality Principal Community Development Officer, JohnBosco Twesigomwe, echoed the call, stressing the urgent need for Uganda to move away from traditional cooking methods. He pointed out that many Ugandans die each year due to indoor air pollution, a preventable crisis linked to firewood and charcoal use.

Twesigomwe explained that clean cooking is not only a health and environmental necessity but also one of the government’s top priorities. He said participants at the workshop were shown how the new appliances work, how they save time and energy, and how they contribute to conserving the environment.

He encouraged residents to adopt modern cooking solutions, noting that such technologies are now accessible in Rukungiri.

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Some participants, including Alice Busingye, Kagwebiire Salvatoris, and Shallot Niwabiine, welcomed the campaign and praised its benefits. They highlighted the rising cost of firewood and charcoal, which has made cooking expensive for many families. However, they also appealed to the government and stakeholders to consider reducing the prices of clean cooking equipment to make them affordable for all households.