MP rallies support for clean cooking

BAGAMOYO: BAGAMOYO Member of Parliament Ms Subira Mgalu has urged Tanzanians to embrace clean cooking energy, saying wider adoption of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) is vital to saving lives, protecting public health and conserving the environment.

Speaking during the Bagamoyo Fish Festival at the weekend, Ms Mgalu, who also chairs the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Energy and Minerals, said the country should accelerate the transition from firewood and charcoal to clean cooking energy to reduce illnesses and deaths caused by indoor air pollution.

She said before the government launched the national clean cooking campaign under President Samia Suluhu Hassan, Tanzania relied heavily on firewood and charcoal, exposing millions of people to serious health risks.

“About 32,000 people lose their lives due to the effects of using firewood and charcoal. Many others suffer from respiratory diseases, eye problems and other illnesses linked to smoke from traditional cooking fuels,” she said.

Ms Mgalu said overdependence on firewood and charcoal has also fuelled deforestation while increasing government spending on treating diseases associated with dirty cooking fuels.

She said President Samia launched the clean cooking energy campaign to reduce, and ultimately eliminate, reliance on firewood and charcoal by promoting cleaner alternatives, including LPG.

“As Parliament, through the Standing Committee on Energy and Minerals, our responsibility is to ensure government plans and strategies for promoting clean cooking energy are fully implemented,” she said.

ALSO READ: Makamba champions clean cooking for food vendors

Ms Mgalu made the remarks during an event where Oryx Gas donated 600 LPG cylinders worth 48m/- to food vendors, fish traders and other entrepreneurs in Bagamoyo, alongside training on the safe use of cooking gas.

Meanwhile, Oryx Energies Tanzania Managing Director Mr Imani Mtafya said the donation supports the government’s target of increasing clean cooking energy use from the current 29 per cent to 80 per cent by 2034.

He said the company has distributed 72,000 LPG cylinders worth 5.7bn/- between 2021 and 2026 and is investing 40bn/- in a new LPG storage facility to strengthen gas supply across the country.

Bagamoyo District Commissioner Mr Shaibu Ndemanga said the district will continue promoting clean cooking energy, expressing confidence that the initiative will reduce dependence on firewood and charcoal among fish processors and other small-scale entrepreneurs