NREP Highlights
Interactive Meeting Between the NREP Board of Trustees and Secretariat.
On March 27, 2025, the National Renewable Energy Platform (NREP) management held an interactive meeting with the board of trustees. The discourse focused on strategizing NREP’s future, updating the trustees on the progress of ongoing projects and financial standing, and addressing emerging issues, including how individual board members could contribute to resource mobilization and institutional growth. The meeting explored strategies for the platform’s growth and long-term sustainability, key to these was establishment of local and international partnerships.
Revolutionizing Clean Cooking in the kingdom of Buruuli
This high-profile event was graced by Hon. Sidronius Okaasai Opolot, the State Minister for Energy, and hosted by His Royal Highness Mwogezi Butamanya Constantine, the Isabaruuli, alongside key ministers of the Buruuli Kingdom. Designed to encourage a shift towards cleaner, safer, and more efficient cooking solutions, this initiative represents a major step in reducing reliance on biomass fuels, mitigating environmental degradation, and improving public health. The demonstration set the stage for a cultural transformation, proving that modern electric cooking technologies are both viable and beneficial for households in the region.
Hoima City Hosts Successful Clean Cooking Awareness Campaign
One of the most memorable and influential moments was listening from the Deputy RCC of Hoima City, Moses Muyambi, who highlighted the significance of clean cooking in environmental conservation, public health, and time efficiency. He emphasized the need for broader grassroots engagement, inclusive participation of persons with disabilities, and collaboration with faith-based organizations to enhance awareness.
Mbarara Behavioral Change Communication for Electric Cooking Outreach Campaign
A key component was the stakeholder consultation, where local leaders, energy experts, and development partners discussed collaborative solutions for increasing adoption. Live cooking demonstrations provided hands-on experience with Electric Pressure Cookers (EPCs), allowing residents to witness their efficiency and cost-saving potential firsthand.
E-Cooking Demonstration at Kyaka II Refugee Settlement
By sustaining these initiatives, e-cooking can become a transformative reality, enhancing public health, reducing environmental degradation, and empowering communities toward a more sustainable future. To advance these efforts, fostering strategic partnerships will be critical in addressing infrastructure gaps, ensuring affordability, and scaling up adoption.
Advancing Clean Cooking for Sustainable Kitchens in Fort Portal City
On March 25, 2025, the National Renewable Energy Platform (NREP) Uganda, in collaboration with the Ministry of Energy and funded by the UK government, launched the clean cooking transition in Fort Portal. This initiative, part of the Behavioral Change Communication for Electric Cooking Project, aimed to engage local leaders as advocates for clean cooking, raise awareness about the health risks of indoor air pollution, and promote modern cooking technologies.
RE Sector Highlights Around the Region and Globe
1. Farmers decry limited access to affordable financing for solar agricultural technologies
Farmers in Uganda have expressed frustration over the limited access to affordable !nancing, which they say is a major barrier to adopting solar agricultural technologies. Mr Wilberforce Tugume, Manager of Kiboga Livestock Farmers' Cooperative society Ltd, shared his experience of trying to access a loan for smart farming agriculture. "I tried and started applying for solar in Uganda Development Bank (UDB) in November 2013, until I gave up in 2024. After fullfilling all the requirements, which are bigger than those required for school, it takes a farmer years to get a loan or never get it at all," Mr Tugume said. He advised banks to be transparent with clients about their ability to provide !nancing, rather than leaving them to waste time and money searching for a loan that may never be approved.
2. Uganda explores solutions to funding gaps in renewable energy sector
The ongoing discussions on financing in Uganda's renewable energy sector have highlighted the country's commitment to increasing clean energy investment. In 2022, 28% of Ugandans had access to grid energy, while another 28% utilized off-grid solar solutions, indicating significant potential for solar technology to enhance agricultural productivity. A recent dialogue assessed the status of the Productive Use of Energy (PUSE) in Uganda, revealing critical funding gaps despite high demand as key factors hindering the adoption of renewable energy, specifically solar technologies. To address these challenges, Ministry of Energy officials, financial institutions, and the agricultural sector collaborated to explore policy improvements and enhance financial products.
3. China trains Ugandans in bamboo charcoal production
The Chinese Embassy in Kampala has launched a training programme to teach Ugandans how to produce charcoal from bamboo, aiming to establish a sustainable bamboo industry in the country. Ambassador Zhang Lizhong announced the bilateral training course in Uganda on charcoal processing through utilisation of wood and bamboo. This follows the 2023 launch of a bamboo plantation and utilisation industry project designed to improve talent training and promote bamboo cultivation. Ms Flavia Nabugera, the former State Minister for Environment and secretary general of the Uganda Bamboo Association, hailed the training programme as “a new chapter in the walk with the bamboo with speci!c linkages to the processing of wood for energy.” She recounted her 2011 visit to China, where she witnessed the potential of bamboo to generate wealth while protecting the environment.
4. Reliance on firewood, charcoal hurting Ugandan women, activists say
The recently released 2024 National Population and Housing Census (NHPC) report revealed that 71.9% of Ugandan households depend on !rewood for cooking, while 23% use charcoal. Only 4.1% rely on cleaner alternatives, such as electricity, solar, or biogas. “This is catastrophic,” the activists warned in a joint statement. “It exposes women—who not only form the majority of the population but also do most of the cooking—to serious health risks and environmental hazards.” The activists, under Green Synergy Uganda, called on the government to scale up investments in clean energy solutions, particularly in rural areas where access remains extremely low. “The lack of access to clean and sustainable energy is not just an environmental issue—it is a barrier to gender equality, economic empowerment, and improved quality of life,” she said.
Upcoming Events
NREP and UNACC, supported by UK Aid, MECS, and MEMD, are organizing Clean Cooking Campaigns to promote the adoption of cleaner, more efficient cooking technologies. The campaigns will feature live demonstrations, expert discussions, and community engagement.
Clean Cooking Campaign
The Soroti City Clean Cooking Exhibition 2025
- Date: 31st March – 4th April 2025
- Location: Soroti Central Market, Soroti City
Kumi District Clean Cooking Campaign 2025
- Date: Saturday, 5th April 2025
- Location: Nyero Rock Paintings, Kumi Distrtict
Energy Access Investment Forum (EAIF) 2025
Uganda will host EAIF 2025 at Speke Resort Munyonyo, bringing together over 1,000 global energy investors, policymakers, and business leaders to discuss investment opportunities in renewable electrification and clean energy transition.
The Energy Convention 2025
The Uganda Chamber of Energy & Minerals (UCEM), in partnership with the Ministry of Energy & Mineral Development (MEMD), Petroluem Authority of Uganda and the National Renewable Energy Platform(NREP) is organizing the 10th Energy Convention (formerly the Oil & Gas Convention). This event aims to build on the successes of previous editions, address emerging sector challenges and foster continued development.
The 2nd Africa Climate Finance Conference
The Climate Finance and Sustainability (CFS) Centre - MUBS, in collaboration with the Uganda Institute of Banking and Financial Services (UIBFS), and the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development (MoFPED), is pleased to invite you to the 2nd Annual Africa Climate Finance Conference taking place on April 1-2, 2025 at Mestil Hotel Kampala, Uganda.
