Mitigating climate change: Buganda adopts biogas for clean cooking
NAKASONGOLA, January 29, 2026 — Buganda Kingdom has adopted the use of biogas for clean cooking as part of efforts to combat climate change, reduce poverty and curb environmentally related diseases.
The Kingdom recently launched a biogas initiative and is urging communities—particularly those in rural areas, to embrace this clean energy source. It has also called upon service providers to lower the cost of biogas technology to make it more accessible.
As part of the programme, the Kingdom has introduced a community biogas training initiative aimed at empowering young people and women from low-income households to promote the adoption of affordable and sustainable energy solutions across all counties.
The launch took place in Kakooge Sub-county, Buluuli County, in Nakasongola district, in partnership with Ecosafe, a regional renewable energy organisation.
Ecosafe will support the promotion of clean energy initiatives in the county and other sustainable energy alternatives, with the possibility of expanding to additional counties as resources allow.
Under the new arrangement, the Kingdom plans to identify and promote other clean energy solutions across its counties to increase adoption and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
The Ecosafe-led training programme equips young people and entrepreneurs with practical skills in biogas installation, maintenance and the development of viable business models for those interested in pursuing clean energy enterprises.
Speaking at the launch recently, the Buganda Minister for Community Self-Help, Environment, Water and Gender, Nkalubo Mayanja, reaffirmed the Kingdom’s commitment to environmental protection while improving livelihoods.
“Our goal is to ensure that communities embrace biogas as a clean, affordable and sustainable source of energy that improves their quality of life,” she said. “Through this, we can protect the environment, preserve forests and reduce pressure on the natural resources our people depend on for daily survival.”
The training programme aims to build a network of clean energy champions—young men and women equipped with technical and entrepreneurial skills—who will promote biogas use across the Kingdom. Participants are trained to construct and repair biogas systems and to turn their knowledge into viable enterprises serving households, hotels, restaurants and schools.
The Kingdom’s Coordinator for Environmental Initiatives, Teddy Galiwango, expressed optimism about the programme, noting that it comes at a time when the Kingdom is grappling with rising deforestation, soil degradation and increasing household fuel costs.
“This initiative will transform lives,” Galiwango said. “Farmers are already using fertiliser from biogas plants to improve their harvests, while others are saving money previously spent on firewood and charcoal.”
During the annual budget presentation at Bulange, Mengo, in June 2025, the Kingdom’s Finance Minister, Robert Waggwa Nsibirwa, emphasised Buganda’s commitment to advancing an environmental sustainability agenda. This includes promoting clean energy technologies, working with partners to scale up their adoption, reducing environmental degradation and strengthening community resilience to climate change.
As part of these efforts, the Kingdom committed at least 120 acres of land to tree planting under the Ekibira kya Kabaka initiative, as well as 2.3 acres for a demonstration farm under the Distributed Renewable Energy Ecosystem Model [DREEM] hub project, which focuses on climate-smart agriculture.
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