From Dirty Costly Charcoal to Cheap, Clean Cooking: How innovative financing is transforming Ugandan kitchens

June 12, 2026 in Companies, Land & Agriculture by Editor

A partnership between Detra Energy, Equity Bank Uganda and EnDev GIZ is helping thousands of Ugandan households access affordable clean cooking technologies, cutting fuel costs, reducing pressure on forests and accelerating the country’s transition to sustainable energy.

 

Every day, millions of Ugandan households light charcoal stoves and firewood fires to prepare meals. The practice is deeply embedded in daily life, but it comes at a cost. Families spend significant portions of their income on fuel, forests continue to shrink under pressure from charcoal production, and indoor air pollution remains a persistent health concern.

Changing that reality has long proven difficult. While cleaner and more efficient cooking technologies exist, the upfront cost has often placed them beyond the reach of many households.

Now, a combination of innovation and Results-Based Financing (RBF) is helping bridge that gap.

At the centre of that effort is Detra Energy and Environmental Contractors Limited, a Ugandan company that is expanding access to affordable clean cooking technologies while supporting the country’s broader energy transition goals.

Founded in 2022, Detra Energy and Environmental Contractors Limited was established with a vision of providing practical solutions that improve lives while protecting the environment. The company operates across renewable energy, waste management, water and sanitation, environmental compliance, eco-friendly construction, and capacity building.

Among its fastest-growing interventions is clean cooking, an area where the company sees both strong consumer demand and significant environmental benefits.

Its portfolio includes electric pressure cookers and advanced charcoal-saving cookstoves such as the Digiwave Electric Pressure Cooker series, Biolite Jiko Safi, Biolite Jiko Malkia, Ecoa Char Grill, Ecoa Char Plus, Ecoa Char Pro and Ecoa Char Classic. The technologies are designed to reduce fuel consumption while improving cooking efficiency and convenience.

For consumers like Jian Namuhenge, the impact has been immediate.

For years, she spent nearly Shs 80,000 every month on charcoal using a traditional stove. Today, the same amount of charcoal lasts almost three months.

“With the traditional stove, I used to buy a sack of charcoal at about Shs 80,000, and it would last only one month,” Namuhenge says. “But with the eco-stove, the same sack can last up to three months.”

The savings have transformed household spending.

“I am now able to save money and use it for other family needs. The stove is easy to light and has a fan that keeps the fire burning. It feels almost like cooking on gas because I can control the heat.”

Yet despite such benefits, affordability remained a major challenge for many prospective users.

That changed in 2024 when Detra Energy partnered with Equity Bank Uganda and EnDev GIZ under a Results-Based Financing programme designed to accelerate access to clean cooking technologies.

The programme introduced incentives that significantly lowered purchase prices, making energy-efficient stoves accessible to a much wider segment of the population.

Products that previously retailed for around UGX 140,000 became available at substantially reduced prices. Households in refugee and host communities could purchase the stoves for UGX 70,000, while other consumers accessed them for as little as UGX 60,000.

For many families, the subsidy made the difference between admiring the technology and actually acquiring it.

“Many Ugandans want solar systems, clean cook stoves, and renewable energy solutions, but the initial costs remain too high for households and small businesses. As Equity Bank, we are enabling communities to access these technologies through results-based financing,” says Virginia Semakula, Equity Bank Energy, Environment and Climate Change Pillar Head.

According to David Ucha, Director of Detra Energy and Environmental Contractors Limited, the programme has played a pivotal role in accelerating both adoption and business growth.

“Even though we had only been operating in the clean cooking sector for a few years, Equity Bank Uganda and GIZ trusted us as a partner,” Ucha says.

“The partnership enabled us to reach people who could not previously afford these technologies. It has helped us penetrate the market, build credibility, and position ourselves for future growth.”

The benefits extend beyond household budgets.

According to Ucha, the stoves use significantly less charcoal than conventional alternatives while producing less smoke and managing ash more effectively. Cleaner kitchens, healthier living environments and lower fuel consumption are among the immediate advantages.

At a national level, widespread adoption could help ease pressure on Uganda’s forests, which continue to face growing demand for charcoal and firewood.

Building on the success of its household products, Detra Energy is now targeting larger consumers through institutional cooking solutions.

Among its latest innovations is the Jiko-Kul, a high-capacity pressure cooker developed for schools, hospitals and other institutions. The system combines oil-based heat retention technology with electric coils, enabling food to continue cooking even after power has been switched off.

The innovation addresses a challenge familiar to many Ugandans: unreliable electricity supply. At the same time, it reduces cooking times and lowers energy costs for large-scale users.

Though still a young company, Detra Energy is increasingly demonstrating how strategic partnerships, innovative financing and locally relevant technologies can accelerate access to sustainable energy solutions.

For households, the rewards are measured in lower fuel bills and improved quality of life. For businesses, Results-Based Financing provides a pathway to growth and market expansion. And for Uganda, the spread of clean cooking technologies represents an important step toward environmental conservation, energy access and climate resilience.