Ecobank Uganda has partnered with Eco Stove Ltd to launch a Green Energy Financing Programme aimed at helping schools and other educational institutions across Uganda transition to cleaner, more efficient and environmentally sustainable cooking solutions.
The programme combines Eco Stove’s energy-efficient institutional cooking technologies with financing from Ecobank Uganda to address one of the biggest barriers to clean cooking adoption — the high upfront cost of modernising school kitchens.
Many schools in Uganda continue to rely on firewood and charcoal to prepare meals for large numbers of learners. The practice contributes to high operating costs, pressure on forests, carbon emissions and exposure to smoke among kitchen staff.
Under the new programme, qualifying schools will be able to access structured financing from Ecobank Uganda to acquire Eco Stove’s institutional cooking systems without having to meet the full capital cost upfront.
The programme was launched at the Eco Stove factory in Bujjuko along Mityana Road, bringing together school proprietors, head teachers, administrators, bursars, education sector stakeholders, financial institutions and clean energy advocates.
Speaking at the launch, Ecobank Uganda Managing Director Grace Muliisa said the initiative demonstrates how financial solutions can support both environmental sustainability and institutional efficiency.
“The transition to cleaner cooking should not be viewed only as an environmental ambition; it is also an economic opportunity for schools,” Muliisa said.
She said combining financing with efficient cooking technology would enable schools to reduce recurring fuel costs, improve operational efficiency and invest in infrastructure capable of delivering long-term value.
“By bringing together financing and efficient cooking technology, we are helping institutions reduce recurring fuel costs, improve operational efficiency and invest in infrastructure that delivers value over the long term,” she said.
Eco Stove provides institutional cooking technologies designed to reduce fuel consumption while improving kitchen efficiency and working conditions.
The company’s Founder, Rose Twine, said the financing arrangement would help schools overcome the initial investment challenge that has limited the adoption of cleaner cooking technologies.
“For many schools, the challenge is not recognising the need for cleaner and more efficient cooking, but being able to make the initial investment,” Twine said.
She added that the partnership with Ecobank would make the technology more accessible while enabling schools to achieve savings through lower fuel consumption and improved kitchen efficiency.
The initiative is also supported by the Uganda Energy Credit Capitalisation Company (UECCC), which provides financing solutions and technical assistance for renewable energy projects and promotes access to clean energy technologies, including clean cooking solutions.
UECCC Managing Director Roy Nyamutale Baguma said the programme presents schools and other private institutions with an opportunity to overcome the high upfront cost associated with acquiring clean cooking technologies.
He said the initiative could support the transition to cleaner meal preparation while helping reduce pressure on Uganda’s forest resources.
The partnership also seeks to address health and environmental concerns linked to traditional cooking methods. Reduced reliance on firewood and charcoal could help lower smoke exposure in school kitchens while reducing carbon emissions and pressure on forests.
Ecobank Uganda and Eco Stove said they will continue engaging schools and other institutions to raise awareness about clean cooking technologies and address social and cultural perceptions that may discourage the adoption of cleaner and more efficient cooking systems.
The launch included demonstrations of Eco Stove’s institutional cooking technologies, a tour of the company’s manufacturing facility, presentations by the partners and engagements with school administrators on available financing options.
The partners said the programme demonstrates how collaboration between financial institutions, private-sector players and energy-sector stakeholders can turn clean energy ambitions into practical solutions for institutions across Uganda.
