Uganda’s Inclusive Green Economy (IGE) 2023 Cohort has been inaugurated at Makerere University at a function that was presided over by the Principal College of Business and Management Sciences Associate Prof. Eria Hisali.

The ceremony held on 26th July 2023, was witnessed by the Dean School of Economics Associate Professor, Ibrahim Okumu and the Director EfD-Mak Centre Prof. Edward Bbaale.
This is the second Uganda’s IGE Cohort composed of six fellows that were appointed by the Permanent Secretaries from Government ministries and Agencies in response to the letter from the EfD-Mak centre and the Swedish Ambassador to Uganda.

Two fellows were appointed from each ministry and one agency. They are; Eng. Ssekitoleko Simon Peter (Assistant Commissioner) and Tony Joshua Mwesigwa (Economist) from Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development; Mr. Kandwanaho Jonan ( Senior Planner Chemical Industries) and Kebirunge Elizabeth (Planner, Natural Resources and Environment) from the National Planning Authority; Mr. Paul Byamugisha (Senior Climate Finance Officer) and Ms. Flavia Namagembe (Climate Finance Officer) from the newly established Climate Change Financing Unit , Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development.

Presiding over the inauguration, Prof. Eria Hisali welcomed the IGE fellows and thanked them for taking interest in the EfD activities adding that the university looks forward to an enduring relationship.

As part of the inaugural activities, a policy dialogue on, “The Dangers of Biomass Utilisation and Adoption to Renewable Clean Energy in Uganda”, was held.

Reports according to Prof. Hisali suggest that up to 90% of Uganda’s energy is based on utilisation of biomass while in the rural areas, up to 100% of the energy used is from biomass.
Continuing on that path especially certain biomass like charcoal, the Principal urged that is not only unsustainable, but also an existential threat that fits into environmental degradation seen in climate change.

Prof. Hisali also reported that the livelihood for the bulk of Ugandan people derives directly from nature hence, any threat from environment to the climate becomes a big challenge that all must take interest in addressing.

“The question then we should be asking as we discuss biomass is, “Do we all -those in government, civil society and the people in the rural and urban centres understand the dangers of biomass reliance the same way. Or is it rather the case that once you see food on your table, it does not matter what has gone into the preliminary processes?”

Hisali contends that the different stakeholders are at different levels of appreciation of the extent of the problem at hand. He called for the need to harmonise all stakeholder’s appreciation of the problem.

“Once we have the harmonisation, then, we can begin discussing issues of adoption. In the process of building a harmonised understanding, we should also try to find out what is mediating the behaviour that we see because what we see is a behavioural decision making issue. Is it poverty..? because even when we make very good recommendations on adoption of clean and renewable energy in Uganda, without taking first in consideration what is mediating these decision making, then it will be like any other discussion”. He added

He advised colleagues in the EfD-Mak Centre to graduate to preparing background papers that give a proper context and anchor while commissioning studies.

Fellows Challenged to Diagnose and Understand the Underpinnings of Biomass Dependence in Uganda in order offer correct innovative energy options

Hisali informed the IGE fellows that discussion for the day gives them a sense of the challenges ahead and to which they must contribute solutions.

Whereas the fellows will be coming to the university, the Professor warned that the centre will not take an entirely academic approach but rather to have an engagement that is practical and one that speaks to the realities of the challenges seen by all in the environment.

“You are privileged that you are doing practical work and having knowledge of the problems faced in Uganda… be as practical as possible and share your experiences as the only way to understanding the extend of the problem and what is causing it to correctly figure out correct measures to address these problems”, Hisali advised.

The Dean School of Economics Assoc. Prof. Ibrahim Okumu hailed the EfD Mak secretariat for continuing with the research agenda of the Makerere university and sustaining the visibility of university within the space of matters concerning the environment.

“Today we are speaking on an issue of Biomass that is central to the existence to mankind and a threat to livelihood. We have had the loss of forest cover which is a threat to the ecosystem that forests serve”, The Dean noted.

The EfD-Mak centre according to Dr. Okumu is committed to engaging with government through the IGE fellows to speak on matters of debate regarding the environment.
“Our interest in engaging the IGE Fellows is to ensure that we can visibly and with real impact have our foothold into policy space and indeed IGE fellows are our foot soldiers in that policy space.
I hope that through the capacity building that you will pick up through this process will impact your policy engagement”, He said.

Presenting the background paper, the IGE Engagement Specialist Mr. Peter Babyenda said the reliance on biomass energy is a key global challenge toward environmental protection and reversing climate change effects.

Globally, Babyenda said, over 3 billion people rely on biomass energy to meet their energy requirements while in SSA, over 900 million people mainly rely on biomass fuels for cooking.

“In Uganda , over 85 percent of the population uses firewood and 13 percent use charcoal for cooking.

An additional 2.3 million tons of tree biomass is consumed in brick making and by educational institutions, among others”. Mr. Babyenda report.

Please click on the attachment for details on Biomass utilisation in Uganda below: