By Business Insider Reporter, Dodoma
A push for a cleaner, healthier future took a symbolic step forward this week when Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Energy, Dr. Doto Biteko, called on staff in the Ministry of Energy and its agencies to become role models in the use of clean cooking energy.
Speaking in Dodoma while distributing 220 energy-efficient electric stoves to employees of the Ministry and the Rural Energy Agency (REA), Dr Biteko urged civil servants to lead from the front in implementing President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s Clean Cooking Agenda.
The initiative aims to promote widespread adoption of clean and safe cooking solutions across Tanzania, reducing reliance on charcoal, firewood, and other polluting fuels.
“Today, we distribute these stoves because you are the ones entrusted with implementing this agenda,” Dr Biteko said. “Your responsibility is to become ambassadors – so that those around you are encouraged to embrace clean cooking as well.”
Clean cooking on the rise
Dr. Biteko highlighted that the number of Tanzanians using clean cooking energy has risen sharply from just six percent to 20.3 percent, reflecting growing awareness of the health and environmental benefits.
The national goal is ambitious: reaching 80 percent adoption by 2034.
Despite this progress, he cautioned that too many households in Tanzania, Africa, and the wider world still rely on unsafe, polluting fuels.
“It is our collective duty to ensure Tanzanians have the right education and access to make the switch,” he said.
REA’s role and rural challenges
In his remarks, Dr Biteko commended REA for championing clean cooking in rural communities, where access remains limited and traditional cooking methods still dominate.
He also applauded REA for its milestone achievement of connecting all 12,318 villages in Tanzania to electricity – a critical enabler of clean cooking adoption.
Handing out the stoves, he reminded employees to use them, not store them away.
“These stoves are meant for daily use, not for display,” he emphasised.
Institutional commitment
Engineer Felchesmi Mramba, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Energy, assured Dr. Biteko that the directive would be implemented across all affiliated institutions.
“We will ensure the Clean Cooking Agenda achieves its intended goals,” he pledged.
The government’s broader ambition is clear: to replace smoky kitchens with cleaner, safer, and climate-friendly alternatives – improving health, empowering women, protecting forests, and cutting greenhouse gas emissions.
A path towards sustainable living
For many Tanzanian families, the transition to clean cooking is not only about convenience but survival.
Traditional fuels cause respiratory illnesses, contribute to deforestation, and increase household expenses over time. Clean energy solutions offer healthier homes, greener communities, and new opportunities for innovation and business. By calling on civil servants to lead by example, Dr. Biteko reinforced a simple but powerful idea: real change begins at home. As Tanzania scales up its clean cooking agenda, the choices of government workers today could inspire millions of households tomorrow.
