By Caroline Nakire
KAMPALA — Parliament has suspended enforcement of the charcoal ban pending a comprehensive statement from the Minister of Energy and Mineral Development on the policy’s implementation and the availability of affordable alternative cooking fuels.
Speaker of Parliament Jacob Markson Oboth issued the directive during plenary on Wednesday, 14 October 2026, following concerns about the ban’s impact on households that rely heavily on charcoal and firewood for cooking.
The ban stems from Presidential Executive Order No. 3, issued on 19 May 2023, which prohibited charcoal burning and trade in West Nile, Northern Uganda, Karamoja and the Teso sub-region.
Oboth directed the Government to report to Parliament the following Wednesday on the ban’s implementation and progress in promoting alternative energy sources.
“Between now and Wednesday, let us first suspend enforcement. I do so not because I support charcoal, but because I am aware of how difficult enforcement will be,” Oboth said.
The decision followed concerns raised by Leader of the Opposition Joel Ssenyonyi, who said the announcement of enforcement had caused public alarm.
Citing Uganda Bureau of Statistics data, Ssenyonyi said between 87 and 94 per cent of Ugandans rely on charcoal and firewood for cooking. He questioned whether the Government had made sufficient progress in ensuring that alternative energy sources were affordable and accessible to ordinary households.
He also questioned the low uptake of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), which he estimated at approximately two per cent. Although some households had received free starter kits, he argued, many could not afford subsequent refills.
Minister of State for Energy and Mineral Development Phiona Nyamutooro said the Government was promoting LPG, electric cooking, ethanol and biogas as alternatives to charcoal and firewood.
She said the Government had introduced a special electricity tariff for cooking and was distributing LPG cylinders and accessories to encourage households to adopt cleaner cooking technologies. Nyamutooro added that LPG production from the Tilenga and Kingfisher oil projects would help improve access to cooking gas.
Igara County West MP Cohen Amanya questioned the legality of the charcoal ban and called for enforcement to remain suspended until the relevant legislation was enacted.
Government Chief Whip Jane Ruth Aceng said addressing the issue would require coordination among several government agencies. She called for a phased approach, including dialogue between the Leader of Government Business and the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development, to establish a way forward. Parliament is expected to consider the matter further after receiving the minister’s statement next week.