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- Local producers have also voiced optimism about the shift, provided the right policies are enforced. Mr Albert Okurut, a briquette manufacturer in Kumi Municipality, stated that transitioning away from charcoal is entirely achievable through clear policy implementation. He stressed that briquettes are not only cost-effective but also environmentally friendly, utilizing agricultural waste that would otherwise go unused.
Environment officers in the Teso sub-region have urged the government, through the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development, to recruit energy officials at the district level if the country is to successfully transition from charcoal to alternative cooking energy sources.
The officers argue that private sector efforts to promote clean energy options, such as briquettes and biogas, have stalled because energy ministry staff remain stationed in Kampala rather than engaging directly with local communities.
Speaking to Daily Monitor, Mr Benjamin Ajotu, the retired environment officer for Soroti District Local Government, emphasized that while an estimated 90 percent of Ugandans rely on charcoal as their main source of fuel, shifting to alternatives is vital for both households and small commercial ventures like bakeries.
"For a start, the ministry should recruit an energy officer in each district. These officials will be charged with the responsibility of going to the communities, both urban and rural, and teaching them how to use alternative sources of energy like briquettes and biogas. Less than that, the charcoal ban will not achieve much," Mr Ajotu said.
He noted that the reliance on traditional charcoal has heavily depleted natural forests, resulting in an estimated loss of 122,000 hectares of forest cover. In Uganda, the central forest cover managed by the National Forestry Authority (NFA) spans 1,265,741 hectares, accounting for roughly 64 percent of the country’s permanent forest estate, while the remaining portion is managed by the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA).
Mr Ajotu cautioned that current reforestation efforts by both the government and the private sector are heavily biased toward timber production rather than planting trees designated specifically for firewood and charcoal. To prevent an environmental catastrophe, he recommended a two-pronged strategy: massive tree planting for both timber and fuel purposes, alongside aggressive promotion of alternative energy sources.
He further highlighted that thousands of metric tons of agricultural waste—such as maize, rice, and groundnut husks, as well as sawdust—are discarded across the country daily despite being ideal raw materials for alternative fuel.
"We are demanding that to guard the country from derailing into an environmental catastrophe, we need to have a linkage between the Ministry of Energy and the communities through the districts. If they can’t recruit staff for that purpose, some people should be trained as energy officers in order to engage and sensitize the communities on the use of alternative energy outside charcoal," Mr Ajotu added.
Echoing similar concerns, Mr David Oluka, the Senior Environment and Natural Resources Officer for Bukedea District, noted that alternative energy sources remain largely unknown to the public due to a deep-rooted cultural reliance on traditional charcoal. He added that widespread urban poverty poses a further challenge, as transitioning to alternatives often requires specialized equipment that many households cannot afford, coupled with a lack of public awareness campaigns.
Mr Oluka confirmed that environmental degradation continues unabated and urged stakeholders to embrace alternative cooking solutions, pointing out that raw materials such as groundnut husks and sawdust remain abundant.
Local producers have also voiced optimism about the shift, provided the right policies are enforced. Mr Albert Okurut, a briquette manufacturer in Kumi Municipality, stated that transitioning away from charcoal is entirely achievable through clear policy implementation. He stressed that briquettes are not only cost-effective but also environmentally friendly, utilizing agricultural waste that would otherwise go unused.
The calls from local environment leaders come amid persistent enforcement challenges regarding national energy policies. In 2023, President Yoweri Museveni issued Executive Order No. 3 restricting the commercial charcoal trade in the sub-regions of Karamoja, Teso, Acholi, and Lango. However, the trade continues to flourish in these areas. Meanwhile, the Minister of State for Mineral Development, Ms Phiona Nyamutoro, recently stated that her ministry lacks the direct mandate to enforce the charcoal ban.