New report from Spotlight Kampala and MECS outlines pathways for inclusive e-cooking transitions in informal settlements

By Jess Kersey (Spotlight Kampala).

A new report by Spotlight Kampala and the Modern Energy Cooking Services (MECS) programme explores the barriers, enablers, and equity implications of electric cooking (e-cooking) transitions among informal settlements in Kampala, Uganda. While Uganda has emerged as an early leader in advancing e-cooking at the national level, the implications of this agenda for the informal communities that house over 60% of the city’s population have remained largely unexamined.

Drawing on surveys, interviews, focus groups, wiring inspections, and electricity monitoring across 10 informal settlements, the report finds that many households already cook with low-efficiency appliances like hot plates. Residents recognize the health and convenience benefits of e-cooking and voice strong aspirations to shift away from charcoal reliance. However, barriers such as unstable power supply, substandard household wiring, lack of appliance finance options, perceptions of e-cooking as unaffordable, and restrictive gender norms discourage residents from transitioning to high-efficiency e-cooking appliances.

The study highlights the importance of understanding informal electricity access structures when considering transition pathways to e-cooking. For the majority of residents who share meters, for instance, it is common for the supply intermediary to restrict the use of energy-intensive appliances like electric pressure cookers (EPC). Most households lack financing options to manage the upfront cost of high-quality electric appliances, or have limited awareness of how to adapt them to their household electrical conditions and daily cooking routines.

The report’s recommendations highlight the importance of expanding access to affordable financing to overcome upfront barriers to appliance adoption. They also highlight the importance of bundling domestic wiring upgrades with EPC distribution programs, recognizing that improved wiring can enable broader, higher-capacity uses of electricity over time. The report also explores reforms to enable safe, fair, and transparent metering arrangements that do not restrict appliance use on shared connections. Finally, it emphasizes the need to design initiatives that address gendered dynamics and social perceptions, ensuring that women—who disproportionately bear the burdens of cooking—are empowered to lead and meaningfully benefit from an e-cooking transition.

Without deliberate, targeted action, e-cooking initiatives risk excluding the low-income urban communities that would benefit most from safer, more affordable cooking options. Achieving a just and scalable transition will require addressing the structural barriers identified in this report—particularly around financing, infrastructure, and fair access to electricity services. Governments, utilities, donors, and private sector actors must work directly with communities to design practical solutions that reflect the realities of informal settlements. Spotlight Kampala’s findings provide a foundation for moving beyond small-scale pilots toward broader efforts that make clean cooking a viable option for all households in Kampala.

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Featured image, top: An example of a low-efficiency electric kitchen in an informal household in Kampala (photo credit: Jessica Kersey, 2023).