The first-ever East African Clean Cooking Energy Summit convened in Arusha this week, bringing together stakeholders from across the region to accelerate the adoption of clean, modern cooking solutions.
Delegates from Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, and Malawi discussed strategies to reduce reliance on traditional fuels like firewood and charcoal, which pose serious health and environmental risks.
Representing the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Energy, Engineer Innocent Luoga, Commissioner for Electricity and Renewable Energy, emphasized Tanzania’s leading role in the clean energy transition.
“Tanzania has taken bold steps to make clean cooking a national priority,” he said. “With the launch of our National Clean Cooking Strategy in 2024, we are targeting 80% adoption of clean cooking energy by the year 2034.”
Since 2022, Tanzania has expanded its efforts by subsidizing liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cylinders, investing in natural gas infrastructure, and introducing tax incentives for clean cooking appliances.
“We are also reforming policies and regulations to make clean cooking solutions more accessible to every Tanzanian household,” added Eng. Luoga.
Globally, over 2.1 billion people lack access to clean cooking energy, with 990 million in Sub-Saharan Africa alone. In Tanzania, only 16% of the population currently uses clean cooking solutions, underscoring the urgency of the summit’s objectives.
The summit received strong support from international development partners. UNDP Resident Representative Shigeki Komatsubara praised the Tanzanian government for its leadership. “President Samia Suluhu Hassan has shown visionary commitment.
The National Strategy is a roadmap for sustainable progress in public health, the environment, and energy access,” he said.
He also underscored the need for collective action. “Clean cooking is not just Tanzania’s issue it is a global challenge. Success will depend on our ability to collaborate across borders.”
Lemine Diallo, representing the European Union, noted that over 90% of East Africans still rely on firewood and charcoal.
This is not sustainable. It affects health, the environment, and economic development. The EU is committed to supporting clean cooking initiatives across the region.”
Delegates from Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, and Malawi echoed praise for Tanzania’s leadership, calling for stronger cooperation to expand access to clean energy. Kenya highlighted that 26,000 deaths per year in the country are linked to indoor air pollution from traditional cooking fuels.
The summit was organized by Tanzania’s Ministry of Energy in collaboration with the UN Capital Development Fund (UNCDF), and was supported by funding from the European Union.
