Tanzania's Ministry of Energy has conducted training for leaders of the Tanzania Food Vendors Union (UMALITA) in Morogoro, focusing on clean cooking technologies, safe usage and financing options for acquiring equipment. The initiative aims to encourage food vendors to move away from charcoal and firewood to cleaner energy sources.
The training followed a directive issued by President Samia Suluhu Hassan on 21 April 2026 during a UMALITA conference, instructing the Ministry of Energy to develop strategies to promote clean cooking energy among food vendors nationwide. Ngereja Mgejwa, Chief Geologist at the ministry's Clean Cooking Energy Unit, said cooperation between government and stakeholders is essential for the transition.
The government is implementing the 2024-2034 National Clean Cooking Energy Strategy, which aims to ensure that 80 per cent of Tanzanians use clean cooking energy by 2034. Mgejwa noted that reliance on firewood and charcoal can harm people's health, the environment and household economies, making awareness campaigns particularly important among food vendors who consume substantial amounts of cooking fuel.
UMALITA leaders are expected to pass the knowledge they gain from the training to their members across the country, supporting the national target of 80 per cent clean cooking energy usage by 2034.