The Rural Energy Agency (REA) has distributed 702 gas stoves and 15-kilogram cylinders to prison staff in the Coast Region as part of the government’s push to promote clean and safe cooking solutions.
The initiative is part of the National Strategy for Clean Cooking Energy, which targets 80 percent of Tanzanian households to shift to clean energy by 2034.
During the handover ceremony held on August 4, 2025, at Mkuza Remand Prison, officers welcomed the support and promised to become champions of clean energy in their communities.
“We thank President Samia Suluhu Hassan for leading this campaign,” said Mr. Ibrahim Nyamka, Officer-in-Charge at Mkuza Remand Prison.
These gas stoves, according to him, will help us do our jobs better and protect our health. We are ready to become ambassadors of clean cooking.
The gas stoves come with two burners and are expected to replace the use of firewood, which remains common in public institutions and homes.
Speaking on behalf of the Rural Energy Board (REB), board member Engineer Sophia Mgonja said the distribution is part of the government’s action to meet its national target.
“This is not a one-time event. It is part of a long-term strategy to make clean cooking energy available to all,” she said.
REA’s Acting Technical Support Manager, Engineer Emmanuele Yesaya, said the distributed stoves and cylinders are only the beginning. More institutions will benefit as the strategy rolls out across the country.
Mr. Godfrey Chibulunje, who represented the REA Director General, urged the public to support the campaign.
“For this strategy to succeed, we need everyone to get involved. Clean cooking is not only safer—it also protects the environment and improves quality of life,” he said.
The project supports the national goal of reducing dependence on firewood and charcoal, which have negative health and environmental effects, especially on women and children.
