ENERGY · UGANDA
Key Facts
- —The country Uganda, a landlocked East African state led by President Yoweri Museveni, still cooks mostly with charcoal and firewood while it prepares to pump its first oil.
- —Why it matters Charcoal drives forest loss, but most households have no affordable alternative. The clash tests how fast Uganda can move to gas and electric cooking.
- —Why now Police stepped up charcoal seizures across the north in October. Traders near South Sudan say stock worth Shs2.4 billion (about US$610,000) is now stranded.
- —What happened On Wednesday 14 October, Speaker Jacob Marksons Oboth told the government to suspend enforcement of the charcoal ban until ministers report to Parliament next Wednesday.
- —The numbers The ban covers four sub-regions under a 2023 presidential order. The opposition leader cited 87% to 94% of Ugandans using charcoal or firewood, and gas use near 2%.
- —What it means for you US firms in gas, solar and electric cooking face a large but price-sensitive market. Uganda’s coming oil fields are meant to add domestic cooking gas.
- —Still open Whether police halt operations at once, whether a law replaces the presidential order, and what happens to charcoal already seized or stranded.
Enforcement of Uganda’s charcoal ban was paused on Wednesday 14 October, when Parliament’s Speaker ordered the government to stop for a week. Speaker Jacob Marksons Oboth ruled in Kampala after lawmakers said the crackdown left households and traders without affordable fuel.
For foreign readers, the dispute shows how hard it is to curb deforestation where most homes still cook with wood fuel. It also touches Uganda’s oil plans, since ministers say the new oil fields will produce cooking gas.
The pause runs until next Wednesday, when the energy ministry must explain the ban and the uptake of alternative fuels. The ban itself is a presidential order on charcoal burning and trade in four northern and eastern sub-regions.
Why Parliament Paused the Charcoal Ban
Joel Ssenyonyi, the Leader of the Opposition in Parliament, raised the issue during Wednesday’s sitting. He said the enforcement announcement had caused “tension and panic” among traders and low-income households, Nile Post reported.
Ssenyonyi cited a 2024 Uganda Bureau of Statistics survey showing that 87% to 94% of Ugandans use charcoal and firewood. He put uptake of liquefied petroleum gas, the bottled cooking gas, at about 2%.
“How aggressively are we making it possible for ordinary persons to access alternative sources of energy?” he asked, according to Parliament’s own report. He added that many families cannot afford gas refills even after receiving free cylinder kits.
Oboth then ruled that enforcement should stop until the government returns to the House. “For between now and Wednesday, let us first suspend the enforcement,” he said, adding that he did not support charcoal.
Cohen Amanya, the MP for Igara County West, questioned whether the ban had a sound legal basis. He belongs to the National Resistance Movement, the ruling party led by President Museveni.
Amanya asked that the status quo remain until the minister makes a statement and a law is passed. Kilak South MP Gilbert Olanya argued that the energy ministry was misreading the President’s directive.
What the Government Says
Phiona Nyamutoro, Minister of State for Energy and Mineral Development (Minerals), urged MPs to join the ministry’s campaign against charcoal. She said the ministry promotes gas, electric cooking, ethanol and biogas, and has introduced an electricity tariff for cooking.
“As part of oil and gas production, LPG will be produced from both Tilenga and Kingfisher projects,” Nyamutoro told the House. The two fields near Lake Albert are the core of the oil project, as set out in Uganda Explained: Museveni’s Uganda, the Long Wait for Oil, the Economy and What to Watch.
Jane Ruth Aceng, the Government Chief Whip, said several agencies are involved and the policy would be handled in phases. “We cannot stop it outright, so we will have dialogue,” she said.
The Electricity Regulatory Authority, the power sector regulator, on Wednesday urged grid-connected households to cook with electricity instead. Julius Wandera, its head of consumer affairs, said the cooking tariff is 412 shillings (about US$0.10) per unit.
Wandera said a typical meal needs three to four units, depending on the appliance and the food. On his figures, an electric meal costs roughly 1,240 to 1,650 shillings (about US$0.31 to US$0.42).
Dollar figures here use the Bank of Uganda closing mid-rate of 3,951 shillings per US dollar on 14 October. The shilling swung sharply that day as the central bank tightened policy.
What the 2023 Order Covers
The ban rests on Executive Order Number 3, which President Museveni issued on 19 May 2023. It prohibits charcoal burning and trade in West Nile, Northern Uganda, Karamoja and Teso, but it is not a nationwide ban.
Enforcement had intensified this month across the north. Police said on 12 October that joint operations in Amuru and Pakwach districts recovered 275 bags and led to two arrests.
Police also warned motorists returning to Kampala not to carry charcoal from the restricted areas. They said even a small quantity for home use does not automatically exempt a person, Nile Post reported.
In August, security agencies seized about 3,000 bags and arrested seven suspects in Nwoya District. The government links the restrictions to deforestation, while the trade remains a key income in poorer regions.
The Energy Efficiency and Conservation Act, 2026, provides for a national cooking strategy. It is not yet fully in force, because the minister must still set a start date by statutory instrument.
Traders Count Losses at the Border
In Koboko District, on the border with South Sudan, more than 172 dealers said on Wednesday that their stock was stuck. They put it at more than 90,000 bags worth Shs2.4 billion (about US$610,000), the Daily Monitor reported.
The traders, from Koboko and neighbouring Yumbe District, asked for three months to sell their existing stock. They also sought a pardon from President Museveni over enforcement of the 2023 order.
The traders say they bought the charcoal in South Sudan and paid taxes in both countries. Koboko’s Resident District Commissioner, Samuel Mpimbaza Hashaka, replied that traders had been given enough time to leave the business.
What It Means for US Readers
For US investors in clean cooking, solar and gas distribution, the row shows both the size of demand and its limits. Most Ugandan households still find charcoal cheaper and easier than cylinders, cookers or power connections.
The oil link matters too, because cooking gas from the Lake Albert fields is part of the government’s plan, as described in Uganda Names Its Crude ‘Pearl Sweet’ as First Oil Comes Into View. Buyers of forest carbon credits also watch enforcement, since unchecked tree cutting weakens such projects.
For US visitors, the order targets charcoal burning and trade rather than travel or tourism. Drivers leaving the restricted areas have been warned that police are checking vehicles for charcoal, so plan road trips from Kampala with time to spare.
What Is Not Known
It is unclear whether police and the army will halt operations at once. The Chief Whip said the policy cannot be stopped outright and spoke of dialogue instead.
The legal weight of a Speaker’s directive against a presidential executive order was not tested on Wednesday. Nor is it known what happens to charcoal already seized, or to the stock stuck near Koboko.
The energy ministry has not published the statement it will give next week. There is also no official estimate of how many people earn a living from charcoal in the four sub-regions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Did Uganda lift its charcoal ban?
No, the Speaker of Parliament ordered the government on 14 October to suspend enforcement until it reports next Wednesday. The 2023 presidential order itself remains in place.
Where does Uganda’s charcoal ban apply?
Executive Order Number 3 of 2023 bans charcoal burning and trade in West Nile, Northern Uganda, Karamoja and Teso. It is not a nationwide ban.
How many Ugandans cook with charcoal?
Opposition leader Joel Ssenyonyi cited a 2024 statistics bureau survey showing that 87% to 94% use charcoal and firewood. He put the use of bottled gas at about 2%.
What alternatives does the government offer?
The energy ministry promotes gas, electric cooking, ethanol and biogas, and hands out free gas cylinders. The power regulator says the cooking tariff is 412 shillings (about US$0.10) per unit.
When will Parliament discuss the ban again?
The Speaker asked the government to return with a statement next Wednesday, 21 October. The energy ministry is expected to report on the ban and on alternative fuels.
Sources: Parliament of Uganda, 14 October 2026; Nile Post, 14 October 2026; Nile Post, 14 October 2026; Daily Monitor, 14 October 2026; Bank of Uganda exchange rates, 14 October 2026.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief