Tanzania’s push for clean cooking energy is creating new jobs, expanding entrepreneurship, and improving public health, marking a major shift toward a greener and more inclusive economy.
Speaking in Dar es Salaam on November 21, 2020, Eng. Advera Mwijage, Director of Renewable and Alternative Energy Technologies at the Rural Energy Agency (REA), said the National Clean Cooking Strategy has opened new economic opportunities while reducing environmental and health risks for households across the country.
She noted that the adoption of clean energy technologies such as LPG, improved cookstoves, natural gas, biogas, and electricity has transformed daily life, especially for women and families in rural and peri-urban communities.
“Clean cooking energy is now a catalyst for better living,” Eng. Mwijage said during an appearance on Clouds 360, a programme dedicated to raising public awareness on clean cooking.
“By cutting exposure to smoke and lowering household costs, we are restoring the dignity of women in the kitchen and enhancing the ability of citizens to participate fully in economic activities.”he added
According to her, the growing demand for clean cooking solutions has sparked a surge in small industries manufacturing improved cookstoves, creating employment for many young people.
Gas distribution businesses have also expanded from urban centres into rural areas, strengthening income generation and encouraging the use of environmentally friendly technologies.
REA, she added, is continuing to promote clean cooking through subsidized improved stoves and affordable six-kilogram LPG cylinders.
The agency has already reached 26 prison camps, demonstrating the strong national acceptance of clean cooking energy.
Speaking on the communication efforts supporting the strategy, Ngereja Mgejwa, Acting Director of Clean Cooking Energy at the Ministry of Energy, said the Communication Strategy remains critical in delivering accurate information to the public.
He said mass media platforms have played a major role in educating communities, with the government aiming for at least 80 percent of Tanzanians to use clean cooking energy by 2034.
Engineer Benezeth Kabunduguru from the Ministry of Energy explained that the ongoing outreach is intended to deepen public understanding of both the national clean cooking strategy and its communication component.
He said the government is working through media outlets and community forums to ensure no citizen is left behind in the transition to clean and modern cooking solutions.
With government institutions, private sector players, and civil society working together, Tanzania’s clean cooking agenda is now shaping a more resilient economy one that supports new investment, protects the environment, and improves the wellbeing of households nationwide.