Oryx Gas has donated 600 liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cylinders worth TZS 48 million to small-scale entrepreneurs, including food vendors and fish traders, in Bagamoyo to support Tanzania's transition to clean cooking energy.
The donation was made during the Bagamoyo Fish Festival on Friday, where beneficiaries also received training on the safe use of LPG as part of efforts to promote cleaner household energy.
Bagamoyo Member of Parliament Subira Mgalu, who also chairs Parliament's Standing Committee on Energy and Minerals, said the initiative complements the government's campaign to reduce dependence on charcoal and firewood.
She said wider adoption of clean cooking energy would help address health risks associated with traditional cooking fuels, noting that indoor air pollution linked to firewood and charcoal continues to claim thousands of lives annually.
"The private sector has an important role in accelerating access to clean cooking solutions. Initiatives such as this one help households and small businesses shift to safer and more efficient energy sources," Ms Mgalu said.
Oryx Energies Tanzania Managing Director Imani Mtafya said the company has been working with the government to expand access to LPG through investments and community outreach.
He said the 600 cylinders donated in Bagamoyo form part of a broader programme under which the company has distributed 72,000 LPG cylinders worth TZS 5.7 billion between 2021 and 2026.
According to Mr Mtafya, the programme supports the national target of increasing the share of Tanzanians using clean cooking energy to 80 percent by 2034, from the current 29 percent.
He added that the company is investing TZS 40 billion in the construction of a new LPG storage facility to strengthen supply and improve nationwide distribution as demand for clean cooking energy grows.
"We are expanding our infrastructure to ensure reliable LPG supply across the country while supporting the government's clean cooking agenda," he said.
Bagamoyo District Commissioner Shaibu Ndemanga, who officiated at the festival, said the donation would particularly benefit fish processors and food vendors by enabling them to adopt cleaner, safer and more efficient cooking technologies.
The government has been encouraging public and private sector collaboration to accelerate the transition to clean cooking energy as part of efforts to improve public health, protect forests and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
