Clean cooking energy transition gathers pace

DAR ES SALAAM: DEPUTY Prime Minister, who also serves as Minister for Energy, Mr Doto Biteko has said the country’s journey that focuses on ensuring all citizens have access to clean energy continues to gather pace.

Mr Biteko assured the public of the government determination on Thursday while officiating at a ceremony meant to distribute gas cylinders and energy efficient stoves to entrepreneurs at Temeke Stereo Market and Mbagala Zakhem in Temeke District, Dar es Salaam Region.

He said the government will ensure all women have access to clean energy.

“I want to tell you that the transition towards access to clean cooking energy for all started this week during the commemoration of the International Women’s Day. It is because we understand that women are the first victims of unclean energy effects including suffering lung diseases and time wastage due to searching for fire woods,” he said.

He said the government will ensure that clean cooking energy is affordable to all citizens.

Detailing the government new dawn to embracing clean cooking energy, he noted that the move is being championed by President Dr Samia Suluhu Hassan, who in December last year at the sideline of the Conference of the Parties (COP 28) in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE) launched the Africa Women Clean Cooking Support Programme (AWCCSP).

The iconic programme encompasses promotion of use of gas cooking stoves and gas cylinders in Africa, Tanzania in particular by fostering energy and policy changes fostering the earth’s prosperity through cutting carbon emission.

He said the distribution of the clean cooking facilities will further reach all regions across the country.

He urged all leaders including religious and traditional leaders to advocate for clean cooking energy in their respective areas.

Dr Biteko also called upon other stakeholders to continue supporting the government on ending unclean cooking usage.

In another development, Dr Biteko directed institutions including schools, prisons and hospitals to adopt clean cooking energy such as gas in an effort to support the government agenda in cherishing the alternative energy use.

Additionally, Dr Biteko emphasized on the significance of conserving environment including forest which has far reaching benefits on rain formation and electricity generation at large.

To ensure nationwide afforestation, he directed forest supervisors across the country, including district councils to enforce protection of the environment.

He graced an event of handing over Oryx cooking gas cylinders and stoves to 100 women food vendors.

“I appreciate the Oryx Gas Tanzania for donating cooking gas cylinders to women food vendors, this is an indication that the journey towards the use of clean energy has really started,” he said.

Earlier, Oryx Gas Tanzania Managing Director Benoit Araman said the company was proud of being at frontline in advocating for clean energy especially the use of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) in the country.

He promised that the company will continue investing in the distribution of cooking gas among Tanzanians.

“Using gas makes women to spend less time in cooking, availing them more time to engage in other economic activities,” Mr Araman noted.

Meanwhile, Deputy Minister for Energy, Ms Judith Kapinga said the distribution of clean cooking energy facilities such as gas cylinders in Dar es Salaam marks the implementation of the Ministry of Energy’s plan in promoting their use across the country.

She said today the ministry will organize a symposium which will bring together about 4,000 women from all regions in the country in celebrating the International Women’s Day while discussing possibilities for ultimate realization of clean energy utilization.

Ms Kapinga noted that currently 63 per cent of citizens still use fire woods for cooking, 25 per cent use charcoal while only five per cent apply alternative energy such gas.

She said the government, under President Dr Samia Suluhu Hassan, targets to ensure 80 per cent of citizens use clean cooking energy by 2033.

Temeke Stereo Market Food Vendors Secretary, Ms Mwanahamisi Nditi thanked the government for providing them with the clean cooking energy facilities including gas cylinders, saying the equipment will make their tasks simple while protecting their health.

She said long time use of firewood in cooking had been posing adverse demerits to their health due to fumes produced by fire.