Govt gives Gulu city residents 2000 cooking gas cylinders

GULU, UGANDA | THE INDEPENDENT | Gulu City has received 2,000 free gas cylinders and burners from the government in its efforts to promote clean energy and environmental conservation.

In 2022, the government launched a drive to distribute at least one million Liquefied Petroleum Gas cylinders and burners to Ugandans in a bid to use of clean energy. The government partnered with fuel companies, including Shell, TotalEnergies and Stabex, to provide the gas cylinders.

Speaking during the launch of the distribution of the gas cylinders on Tuesday, Alfred Okwonga, Gulu City Mayor, highlighted the need for communities to shift away from traditional cooking methods. He said that over the years, there has been heavy reliance on biomass, including firewood and charcoal as the primary cooking energy, which has eroded the country’s national tree cover with adverse effects on the environment and the health of the population.

Okwonga, however, urged the local communities to make full use of the gas cylinders and encouraged the local businesses to adopt clean energy solutions while appealing to the government to subsidize the cost of clean energy refills to ensure that the transition remains sustainable.

Each benefiting household received a 13kg cylinder, burner, and other accessories. Felix Okello, a resident, lauded the Government for rolling out the project to the households to save their time in cooking and promoting environmental conservation.

Another resident, Rose Ojara, said the usage of gas will release the pressure on cutting down trees and save the environment. She also notes that the use of charcoal for daily cooking is cumbersome for mothers.

Sunday Filder Adong, LC I Chairperson, Layibi Industrial Cell, applauded the government for the new initiative that will when far to supporting local communities with the rising costs of charcoal and destruction of the environment.

“This intervention will improve our health, ease the financial burden on us, and will also contribute to environmental protection; we are happy for these stoves,” Adong said.

According to experts, deforestation rates in northern Uganda have been increasing due to the high demand for firewood and charcoal and the introduction of clean cooking stoves is expected to help reduce tree-cutting and slow environmental degradation.

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