Technology 16 August 2026 Daily Monitor (Uganda)
Uganda Poised to Manufacture Electric Pressure Cookers Locally
Eco-Stove, a local clean cooking technology firm, plans to begin manufacturing electric pressure cookers in Uganda, aiming to reduce costs and increase accessibility for households. The company anticipates securing funding to import necessary machinery and establish an assembly plant within the year. Source: https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/uganda-to-start-manufacturing-electric-pressure-cookers-locally-5559642
Indigenous clean cooking technology manufacturer, Eco-Stove, is set to launch the local production of electric pressure cookers, a move aimed at making these energy-efficient appliances more affordable for Ugandan households. The company’s CEO, Rose Twine, revealed plans to travel to China soon to acquire an assembly plant, with the goal of producing 10,000 units monthly initially, with aspirations to double this output.
Currently, high import duties and taxes contribute significantly to the cost of electric pressure cookers in Uganda. Twine highlighted that these charges, including a 35 percent import duty, 18 percent VAT, and a 6 percent withholding tax, are ultimately passed on to the consumer, creating a barrier to adoption. Securing funding from the Uganda Energy Credit Capitalisation Company (UECCC) is expected to allow Eco-Stove to establish an assembly line at its Bujjuko factory.
This initiative comes as the country discusses strategies to promote cleaner cooking methods. Roy Nyamutale Baguma, Managing Director of UECCC, pointed out the inefficiency of traditional cooking fuels like biomass, which contribute to significant health issues and deaths in Uganda. Data from the 2024 Uganda Population and Housing Census indicates that only about 420,000 households currently use clean energy for cooking.
The government’s Sustainable Energy Development Program aims to reduce biomass energy use for cooking from 75 percent in 2024 to 50 percent by 2030. Promoting a mix of clean cooking technologies, including electric pressure cookers, induction stoves, LPG, biogas, and solar cookers, is a key strategy. Eco Bank has also stepped in to facilitate access by offering loan facilities, requiring end-users to cover 50 percent of the unit’s cost, thereby addressing the financial barrier to acquiring these technologies.