Tanzania is undergoing a significant transformation in the use of clean cooking energy, with innovation playing a pivotal role in the process.
The Acting Director of Clean Cooking Energy at the Ministry of Energy, Ngereja Mgejwa, emphasized the importance of these advancements in ensuring better health outcomes, environmental conservation, and improved community well-being.
"Our country is witnessing remarkable progress in the adoption of clean cooking energy, which is helping protect public health, safeguard the environment, and promote the welfare of our communities," Mgejwa said.
He further underscored that the country's clean cooking energy agenda is being spearheaded by President Dr. Samia Suluhu Hassan.
Mgejwa’s remarks were made during his visit to VETA Moshi in Kilimanjaro Region on April 5, 2025, where he observed the innovative gas stove technologies developed by the institution.
He commended the efforts of VETA, stating that such innovations are essential in driving the nation forward in the transition to clean cooking energy.
"I congratulate VETA for their ingenuity in creating stoves that will significantly contribute to advancing clean cooking energy practices in Tanzania," Mgejwa added.
The visit was in line with directives from Dr. Doto Mashaka Biteko, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Energy, who was the Guest of Honour during the 50th Anniversary of the Vocational Education and Training Authority (VETA) in Dar es Salaam on March 21, 2025.
Mgejwa also outlined the government’s ambitious goal to achieve 80 percent clean cooking energy usage by 2034.
"The government is committed to ensuring that clean cooking energy reaches every Tanzanian household by 2034," he affirmed.
Highlighting the dangers of using unclean cooking energy, Mgejwa pointed out the health, environmental, and economic risks associated with traditional cooking methods.
"Statistics show that approximately 33,024 people lose their lives every year due to the harmful effects of using unclean cooking fuels," he revealed. This stark statistic reinforces the urgency of shifting to cleaner alternatives.
Eng. Lupakisio Mapamba, the Principal of VETA Moshi, added that the institution’s innovation in gas stove technology would help combat environmental degradation, such as deforestation caused by excessive tree-cutting.
"Our gas stoves are designed to eliminate the harmful smoke produced by traditional cooking methods, thereby protecting both the environment and the health of our users," Mapamba said.
He further explained that the new gas stoves would offer a practical, eco-friendly, and smoke-free cooking solution, which would significantly reduce the adverse effects of conventional cooking stoves.