The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | Julius Businge | GIZ-PREEEP in partnership with Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development and Uganda National Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Alliance is implementing the second phase of the awareness campaign programme dubbed “Clean Energy for a Better Life.”
It was unveiled on Dec.07. It will bring companies engaged in renewable energy/energy efficiency technologies closer to the consumers such as small and medium enterprises and institutions in Northern Uganda (West Nile, Lango and Acholi sub region as well as Soroti district).
As part of the efforts to increase rural electrification, households, businesses and social institutions in Northern Uganda will have an opportunity to be educated on the access and available technologies and products that promote efficient use of clean energy.
This will be during the six-month long clean energy media campaign starting in December 2020 on seven radio stations in Northern Uganda.
Officials said that they will also make use of several other channels such as billboards, street poles and digital platforms to support the engagement and creation of sustainable conversations around clean energy for a better life.
Esther Nyanzi, the chief executive officer for The Uganda National Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Alliance (UNREEEA) said: “We had a successful expo in Gulu last year and we are excited to do it again in Lira. The expo is part of a bigger, three-year campaign aimed at increasing awareness and eventually uptake of energy efficient and renewable energy technologies and increasing private sector investment in these technologies in Northern Uganda.”
Simon Kalanzi, the assistant commissioner at the ministry of energy and mineral development said the clean energy expos in these towns will advance the government’s efforts to tackle the challenge of low levels of awareness of renewable energy and energy efficient solutions, inefficient biomass technologies, the unsustainable use of the available resources and inefficient use of energy.
Officials said, by the end of the campaign, there will be an increase in the consumption of clean energy in Northern Uganda.
Once achieved, this will bring the country closer to achieving the Sustainable Development Goal 7, which seeks to ensure access to affordable reliable sustainable and modern energy for all by the year 2030.
GIZ said in a statement that the rising energy demand due to population growth (about 10-12% per year), rapid urbanization and economic development will call for urgent action to exploit the region’s tremendous renewable energy resources.
