By Guest Writer
Uganda continues to face a significant household energy challenge, particularly in rural communities where access to modern energy sources remains limited. The vast majority of families rely on biomass fuels such as firewood and charcoal, burned on traditional three-stone fires or rudimentary metal and clay stoves. While these methods have supported generations, they carry serious economic, health, and environmental costs.
An estimated 96 percent of rural households depend on biomass for cooking, and nearly 90 percent lack access to clean cooking technologies. Indoor air pollution from smoky kitchens contributes to approximately 19,700 deaths annually, while the heavy demand for firewood accelerates deforestation across the country.
However, a quiet shift is underway as fuel-efficient eco-stoves gain traction, offering a cleaner, cheaper, and safer alternative. For many women, who shoulder the primary responsibility for cooking and fuel collection, the change is transformative.
From Smoke and Struggle to Efficiency
For Florence Nabutsebi, a mother of five and grandmother of seven in Busamaga West Constituency, Mbale District, cooking was once synonymous with smoke, soot, and constant expense.
“The traditional stoves were inefficient in cost, durability, and usage,” she says. Her perspective changed when a local cooperative introduced eco-stoves to the community. Initially doubtful that a small clay-and-metal stove could meet her family’s needs, she soon saw dramatic results.
“In the past, I used a sack of charcoal for one month, but with this stove it lasts about two and a half months,” Nabutsebi explains. “We now use very little firewood, just a few sticks, and cooking takes less time.”
The reduced fuel consumption has translated into significant household savings, allowing her to redirect money toward food, education, and other necessities. Equally important, the cleaner burn has reduced smoke exposure, creating a healthier kitchen environment.
The benefits extend beyond households to small businesses. Fatimah Nanfuma a restaurant owner in Namatala, Mbale City, previously spent between Shs 85,000 and Shs 100,000 on charcoal every three weeks.
Today, that same quantity lasts up to three months. “This is a truly cost-effective initiative,” she says, noting that the savings directly improve her business profitability.
Some users have also begun producing fuel briquettes from sawdust, charcoal dust, and organic waste for both personal use and sale, generating additional income while reducing environmental pressure.
Traditional cooking methods expose women and children to high levels of smoke for prolonged periods, increasing the risk of respiratory illnesses, eye problems, and burns. Eco-stoves significantly reduce emissions, improving household health outcomes.
They also reduce the time spent collecting firewood, a task that often falls to women and girls. The time saved can be redirected toward education, farming, childcare, or income-generating activities.
The growing adoption of eco-stoves has been accelerated by initiatives such as the Results-Based Financing (RBF) Program, a collaboration between Equity Bank Uganda and GIZ Energizing Development (EnDev) Uganda. The program provides incentives to suppliers, lowering costs and expanding distribution to underserved communities.
Through local vendors and community outreach, some eco-stove models are now available for as little as Shs 10,000, making clean cooking accessible even to low-income households.
Adoption has been largely driven by peer influence and visible results. Nabutsebi says her own experience has encouraged others to follow suit.
“I have convinced many of my neighbors to buy these eco-stoves because they see the benefits,” she says. Recent projects have distributed more than 600,000 improved cookstoves across Uganda, with locally manufactured models gaining particular popularity. Rising fuel prices and increased awareness of environmental degradation are further accelerating demand.
Under its environmental sustainability initiatives, Equity Bank continues to support programs that promote clean energy solutions and improved livelihoods across Uganda and the region.
Eco-stoves may appear modest in design, but their impact is far-reaching. They reduce household expenses, protect forests, improve public health, empower women economically, and support small businesses.
For thousands of families across rural Uganda, the shift to cleaner cooking is not merely a technological upgrade. It is a pathway to healthier homes, stronger incomes, and a more sustainable future. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
