Lagara Investments Company Limited Urges Women to Embrace Clean Cooking Technology

As part of ongoing efforts to promote environmental sustainability and public health, Lagara Investments Company Limited, through its Olyel Agago Chapter, has launched an extensive community awareness campaign on the adoption of clean cooking energy technologies, specifically UGAS (a low-smoke cooking gas alternative).

The awareness campaign, which began at the Main Market in Pader Town Council, continued to Omot Sub-county Headquarters and later to Arum Sub-county Headquarters on Thursday, 19th September 2024. These sensitization sessions are aimed at educating communities, especially women, about the health, environmental, and economic benefits of transitioning from charcoal and firewood to cleaner cooking fuels like gas.

Mr. Raymond Olyel, Managing Director of Lagara Investments Company Limited, emphasized the government’s role — particularly the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development — in supporting the adoption of clean cooking energy to protect Uganda’s forests and improve community well-being. He explained that while gas is a fossil fuel, it is a much cleaner and safer alternative to charcoal and wood, which release harmful smoke and contribute to deforestation.

“Gas is not only safer for our health, but it’s also more economical in the long term. The price of both the cylinder and the gas inside is affordable compared to the hidden costs of using charcoal,” Mr. Olyel noted.

Speaking in both English and Luo, Mr. Olyel encouraged households to shift toward cleaner energy sources, noting that protecting the environment begins with daily choices made in the kitchen.

Ms. Christine Lakot, a resident of Omot Sub-county, Agago District, welcomed the initiative, saying it will greatly reduce the physical and health risks associated with the search for firewood and charcoal. She appreciated the fact that such technologies could relieve the burden on women who often bear the responsibility of fuel collection.

“This is a blessing for many of us women. If we can access UGAS easily, it will save us time and protect our health,” she remarked.

However, concerns were also raised. Ms. Night Akello, Chairperson of the Pader Town Council Market Vendors’ Cooperative Society, urged the government and private partners to consider reducing the cost of UGAS even further so that low-income women can also afford it.

“Many women want to switch to gas, but affordability remains a barrier. If the prices can be subsidized, more households will transition,” Ms. Akello said in Luo.

This campaign is part of a broader initiative by the Government of Uganda, under the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development, to reduce environmental degradation, promote afforestation, and improve household health outcomes across rural and urban communities.

Lagara Investments Company Limited remains committed to supporting these national efforts through community outreach, sustainable innovation, and women-centered solutions that prioritize both people and the planet.