Why Rombo, Siha lag behind in clean cooking energy use

Kilimanjaro. The district councils of Rombo and Siha in Kilimanjaro Region have been identified as having the lowest levels of clean cooking energy use in both public and private institutions compared to other councils in the region.

This situation is said to contribute to health problems and environmental degradation due to heavy reliance on firewood and charcoal.

In Rombo District Council, out of 211 institutions, only three use gas. These are the Mamtukuna Folk Development College (FDC), Rombo Prison and Kiraeni Secondary School.

A similar situation is observed in Siha District Council, where out of 85 institutions, only four use clean energy. These include Visitation Secondary School, Magnicat Secondary School, Kilimanjaro Girls’ Secondary School and Charlotte Hospital.

According to an implementation report released by the Kilimanjaro Regional Commissioner, by May 2025, only 25 out of 1,316 public and private institutions in the region were using clean cooking energy, including gas and electricity.

An analysis of other councils shows that Hai District has 13 out of 267 institutions using clean energy, Moshi Municipal and Moshi Rural have 23 out of 54 institutions, Same has only three out of 211, while Mwanga has six out of 127.

Few institutions take the lead

Despite the challenges, some institutions have set an example by investing in gas and electricity. The Head of Rombo Folk Development College, Herry Kinyamagoha, said the college has been using LPG since 2021 for its 460 students.

He explained that they previously relied on firewood, which posed health challenges to kitchen staff and incurred high transportation costs.

“A gas cylinder costing Sh3.1 million lasts for 45 days, while a truckload of firewood costing Sh300,000 lasted for two months. Although the initial cost of gas is high, we realized its health and environmental benefits, which is why we decided to invest,” said Kinyamagoha.

Communities still lagging behind

Despite government and private sector efforts, many residents are yet to adopt clean energy.

Esteri Mushi, a resident of Ngareni Village in Siha District, said she still depends on firewood because she cannot afford gas. “A gas stove and cylinder are too expensive.

Even charcoal prices have gone up, but at least we can get firewood from the forest. Right now, it’s difficult for families like mine to afford gas every month,” Esteri said.

James Kimaro, a resident of Tarakea in Rombo, said while awareness programs on clean energy have been conducted, rural communities have yet to directly benefit.

“Urban areas are the ones benefiting from gas, but in villages we still depend on firewood and charcoal. People fail to switch because distribution systems do not reach rural areas,” Kimaro said.

Siha starts to embrace change

Siha District Commissioner, Christopher Timbuka, said efforts to promote the use of clean energy have started to bear fruit, including the distribution of more than 6,000 cylinders to residents through subsidies.

“In collaboration with companies such as Lake Oil, we purchased cylinders and distributed them to some residents so they could experience the benefits of using gas instead of firewood.

We also partnered with the Tanzania Forest Services Agency (TFS) to distribute tree seedlings and establish school nurseries to promote environmental conservation alongside the use of clean energy,” said Timbuka.

He added that Kilimanjaro and Namwai secondary schools have already installed gas systems, with plans to extend the initiative to other schools in the district.

Government engages Amcos in Rombo

For his part, Rombo District Commissioner Raymond Mwangwala said the government is working with Agricultural Marketing Cooperative Society (AMCOS) to distribute energy-efficient stoves that consume less electricity at affordable prices.

“The government has been providing subsidies and even distributing energy-efficient stoves for free, especially to food vendors. We want to reduce dependence on firewood and charcoal, which have been destroying forests and affecting users’ health,” he said

VETA’s contribution to clean energy use

Speaking on behalf of the Head of Moshi Vocational Education and Training Authority (VETA), the college’s Registrar, Frank Kabipe, said the institution has 847 students, including 227 girls and 620 boys. Out of these, 574 are boarders, served by 70 staff members, including 48 teachers.

Kabipe explained that the college has already started using eco-friendly briquettes as a clean energy source and is preparing to shift to gas.

He added that the gas stoves currently in use were designed and manufactured by teachers in collaboration with students from relevant departments.

On his part, Welding Instructor, Buriani Rashid, said that since last year, they have successfully sold more than ten stoves to various government institutions.

He said the cost of a 50-litre stove is Sh2.5 million, a 100-litre stove Sh2.1 million and a 200-litre stove Sh3.3 million.

Currently, VETA Moshi uses six briquette stoves, consuming five tonnes per month at a cost of Sh3 million, equivalent to Sh600,000 per tonne.

Tanesco sets new targets

The Kilimanjaro Regional Manager of the Tanzania Electric Supply Company (Tanesco) Doto Chacha said significant efforts are underway to ensure that households and institutions stop using firewood and charcoal and shift to clean energy.

“We currently have 341,000 customers, but our goal is to reach 500,000 by December 2025. To achieve this, this year alone we aim to add 89,614 new customers. By reaching this target, we believe we will have made great progress in expanding the use of clean electricity among residents,” said Chacha.

He noted that Tanesco has been conducting campaigns across all districts in the region to promote clean energy, adding that public response has been positive. “We have seen some families switching from firewood stoves to electric stoves, which shows that awareness is beginning to grow,” he added.

Future prospects

To make further progress, stakeholders recommend that the government create an enabling environment for investors and the private sector to participate fully in the distribution of clean energy products and services.

Financial institutions are also urged to provide affordable loans to households and entrepreneurs dealing in clean energy solutions.

In addition, educational and research institutions are expected to play a role by conducting studies and developing new technologies that will lower costs and increase access to clean energy for citizens.

According to national strategies, by 2034, more than 80 percent of Tanzanians are expected to use clean cooking energy.

These stories are sponsored by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; If you have any comments, send us a message via WhatsApp at: 0765 864 917