The government is targeting small-scale food vendors in its push to expand the use of clean cooking energy, with leaders of the Tanzania Food Vendors Association (UMALITA) trained on alternative technologies, safe usage and financing options for acquiring equipment.
The initiative seeks to encourage mamalishe and babalishe, who depend heavily on charcoal and firewood to prepare meals for customers, to adopt cleaner cooking methods as Tanzania works towards ensuring that 80 percent of its population uses clean cooking energy by 2034.
The training, conducted by the Ministry of Energy in Morogoro on October 15, 2026, focused on equipping UMALITA leaders with knowledge they can share with members across the country.
Opening the training, Chief Geologist from the Ministry of Energy’s Clean Cooking Energy Unit, Ngereja Mgejwa, said cooperation between the government and stakeholders was crucial to accelerating the transition from traditional cooking fuels.
He said the government, under President Samia Suluhu Hassan, was implementing the National Clean Cooking Energy Strategy 2024–2034, which sets a target of reaching 80 percent of Tanzanians with clean cooking energy by the end of the strategy period.
Mr Mgejwa said continued reliance on charcoal and firewood could expose users to health risks while contributing to environmental degradation and imposing costs on households and businesses.
He stressed that food vendors deserved particular attention because cooking is central to their daily operations and fuel choices can affect both working conditions and business expenses.
For small food businesses, however, the transition will depend not only on awareness but also on access to affordable equipment and financing. The training therefore included information on financial opportunities available to vendors seeking to acquire clean cooking technologies.
Mr Mgejwa said the initiative was also part of efforts to implement a directive issued by President Samia on April 21, 2026, during a UMALITA conference, when the Ministry of Energy was instructed to develop specific measures to promote clean cooking energy among food vendors nationwide.
Under the arrangement, UMALITA leaders are expected to use the knowledge gained to educate members in their respective areas, helping them understand the available technologies, how to use them safely and the options for accessing equipment.
The government expects the association's nationwide network to help extend the campaign beyond formal training sessions and encourage more vendors to consider alternatives to charcoal and firewood.
The initiative comes as Tanzania pursues its 2034 clean cooking target, with the food vending sector offering an important avenue for reaching people who use cooking energy commercially as well as in their homes.
The extent to which the programme translates into wider adoption will depend on vendors' ability to obtain suitable equipment at a cost their businesses can sustain.