Education officers have been urged to strengthen partnerships with development stakeholders to accelerate investment in clean cooking energy infrastructure in schools, as the government intensifies efforts to reduce reliance on firewood and charcoal in institutions that serve large numbers of people.
The call was made on March 4, 2026 in Arusha by Mr Ngereja Mgejwa, representing the Director of Clean Cooking Energy at the Ministry of Energy, during his presentation on the use of clean cooking solutions in schools at the 12th Annual General Meeting of the Regional and District Education Officers Association of Tanzania (REDEOA).
The meeting brought together education officers from regions and local government authorities across the country under the theme “The Use of ICT as a Key Pillar for Improving Education in Tanzania.”
Mr Mgejwa said that while the government is already implementing clean cooking energy projects in schools and encouraging institutions serving more than 100 people to adopt clean energy solutions, collaboration with the private sector, non-governmental organisations and communities remains essential to scale up the initiative.
He noted that strategic partnerships could accelerate the installation of modern cooking systems in schools, including improved stoves, gas systems and other alternative energy technologies.
According to him, the transition to clean cooking energy will help schools reduce operational costs, improve efficiency in food preparation and protect the health of students and staff by limiting exposure to smoke produced by traditional cooking fuels.
Mr Mgejwa said several schools have already begun adopting clean cooking energy technologies through collaboration with stakeholders.
These include Masoka Secondary School in Kilimanjaro Region, St Monica Primary School in Arusha City and Moringe Secondary School in Arusha Region.
He said the shift supports the government’s broader agenda of protecting the environment while improving public health by cutting down the use of firewood and charcoal in institutional kitchens.
Mr Mgejwa also urged education officers to closely supervise the implementation of clean cooking projects in schools to ensure the infrastructure remains sustainable and continues to benefit future generations.
He said that by 2025 about 23.2 percent of Tanzanians had already adopted clean cooking energy solutions, adding that with continued efforts the government expects more than 80 percent of the population to be using clean cooking energy by 2034.
Meanwhile, Ruvuma Regional Education Officer Ms Edith Mpinzile said the region is making notable progress in implementing the government directive requiring institutions that prepare food for more than 100 people to transition to clean cooking energy.
She said Ruvuma has 153 secondary schools, of which 43 have already adopted clean cooking energy solutions.
Ms Mpinzile added that some school leaders in the region have been working with stakeholders and parents to build modern kitchens designed to support the use of clean cooking technologies, enabling schools to shift to energy solutions that are more affordable and environmentally friendly.
