I know that Africa is among the continents comprising the poorest countries with more than 600 million people missing access to cheap and flexible electricity.
Energy poverty occurs when energy bills represent a high percentage of consumers’ income or when they must reduce their household’s energy consumption to a degree that negatively impacts their health and wellbeing.
I also know that Uganda has abundant energy resources especially hydrological and other renewable resources, yet there is widespread energy poverty throughout the country.
The country’s energy sector faces considerable challenges including acute power shortages, outages, increased demand, increased cost to purchase power and high maintenance costs among other issues.
It’s important to note that these challenges greatly affect women because they are at the frontline of cooking that requires energy.
They also require energy to breastfeed babies at night, ironing clothes and most women work from home so they need electricity to produce effective and efficient work.
It should be remembered that most households in Uganda depend on charcoal or firewood for cooking. Unfortunately, this practice is not only inefficient but also causes air pollution which is bad for the environment and health.
According to the World Health Organization, indoor air pollution from solid fuels is responsible for about 3.2 million deaths globally each year, many of whom are children.
Moreover, deforestation is a significant environmental issue in Uganda as forests cover only about 12% of the country’s land area, according to national statistics.
On top of that, oil and gas were discovered beneath the Albertine Graben of Uganda in 2016 and have already negatively impacted on the environment though the government and oil sector players say they are in control to minimise the side effects.
Fossil fuels constitute about 79 per cent of all greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, together with industrial activities, transport and built structures. An urgent and just phase out of fossil fuels is what the world needs. It is the pivot on which life on the planet balances.
According to the Paris Agreement, developed countries pledged to support developing countries to increase climate change adaptation and mitigation.
However, as a developing country, we have continued to suffer the consequences of climate change impacts like prolonged drought, temperature rise, high sea levels, floods, loss and damage. All these factors forced Global South countries to pay for what they didn’t pollute.
Ahead of COP28 as feminists, we call for an end to fossil fuel-induced energy apartheid in Africa which has left 600 million Africans without access to modern clean renewable energy.
There is a need of scaling up cost-effective, clean, decentralised renewable energy as the fastest and best way to end energy exclusion and meet the needs of Africans.
There is also the need to end the capitalist economy and transition to a regenerative economy where people, animals and plants live together peacefully.
Communities benefiting from their minerals also not only Global North taking advantage of our resources in our own land.
We also call for a transformative, people-led process involving rapid social, economic and political change to achieve energy democracy and deliver renewable energy assets into the hands of people and communities across the continent.
There is also a need to hold big polluters accountable so that they MUST PAY FOR WHAT THEY POLLUTE in global south countries.
While paying, we demand for grants not loans because they are not doing us a favor as developing countries. They are doing what they must do for the losses and damages caused.
More so, we demand for energy transition which means change from the way we produce and consume energy in our day to day lives.
The government and oil companies in Uganda should invest more in green economic alternatives that will improve the social economic development of the country. We must, therefore, make commitments to end dependence on fossil fuels.
In a nutshell, to ensure Africa is not locked-in fossil gas production, we join with movements across Africa in demanding an end to fossil gas and other dirty, dangerous, obsolete and inappropriate energy systems.
The writer, Ms Ireen Twongirwe is the Executive Director at Women for Green Economy Movement, Uganda
Afrika ni miongoni mwa mabara yenye umaskini mkubwa, na zaidi ya watu milioni 600 hawana uwezo wa kupata umeme wa bei nafuu. Umaskini wa nishati hutokea wakati bili za nishati zinawakilisha asilimia kubwa ya mapato ya watumiaji au wakati wanahitaji kupunguza matumizi ya nishati ya nyumba zao kwa kiwango ambacho kinaathiri afya na ustawi wao. "Amesema, ""Ninajua pia kwamba Uganda ina rasilimali nyingi za nishati, hasa maji na rasilimali nyingine zinazoweza kurejeshwa, lakini kuna umaskini mkubwa wa nishati nchini kote." Sekta ya nishati ya nchi inakabiliwa na changamoto kubwa ikiwa ni pamoja na upungufu mkubwa wa umeme, kukatika, kuongezeka kwa mahitaji, kuongezeka kwa gharama ya kununua umeme na gharama za juu za matengenezo kati ya masuala mengine. Ni muhimu kutambua kwamba changamoto hizi zinaathiri sana wanawake kwa sababu wao ni katika mstari wa mbele wa kupika ambayo inahitaji nishati. Wanawake wengi wanahitaji nishati ili kunyonyesha watoto usiku, kusugua nguo na kufanya kazi kutoka nyumbani, hivyo wanahitaji umeme ili kufanya kazi kwa ufanisi. Ni lazima ikumbukwe kwamba nyumba nyingi nchini Uganda zinategemea makaa ya mawe au kuni kwa ajili ya kupika. Kwa bahati mbaya, zoea hili si tu lisilo na ufanisi lakini pia husababisha uchafuzi wa hewa ambao ni mbaya kwa mazingira na afya. Kulingana na Shirika la Afya Ulimwenguni, uchafuzi wa hewa wa ndani unaosababishwa na mafuta ya mafuta ni sababu ya vifo vya watu milioni 3.2 kila mwaka duniani kote, wengi wao wakiwa watoto. Kwa kuongezea, ukataji misitu ni suala kubwa la mazingira nchini Uganda kwani misitu inashughulikia karibu 12% tu ya eneo la nchi, kulingana na takwimu za kitaifa. Mafuta na gesi yalitambuliwa chini ya Albertine Graben nchini Uganda mwaka 2016 na tayari yameathiri mazingira, ingawa serikali na wachezaji wa sekta ya mafuta wanasema wana uwezo wa kudhibiti athari hizo. Mafuta ya makaa ya mawe yanawakilisha karibu 79% ya uzalishaji wote wa gesi za chafu (GHG), pamoja na shughuli za viwanda, usafiri na miundo iliyojengwa. Ulimwengu unahitaji kuacha kutumia mafuta ya visukuku haraka na kwa haki. Ni msingi ambao uhai kwenye sayari unalingana nao. Mkataba wa Paris ulitoa ahadi ya kuunga mkono nchi zinazoendelea katika kuboresha hali ya hewa na kupunguza athari zake. "Hata hivyo, kama nchi inayoendelea, tumeendelea kuteseka kutokana na athari za mabadiliko ya hali ya hewa kama ukame wa muda mrefu, ongezeko la joto, viwango vya juu vya bahari, mafuriko, hasara na uharibifu. """ Sababu hizi zote zililazimisha nchi za Kusini mwa Dunia kulipa kwa kile ambacho hazikuchafua. "Kabla ya COP28, kama wanaharakati wa haki za wanawake, tunatoa wito wa kukomesha ""upendeleo wa nishati"" unaosababishwa na mafuta ya makaa ya mawe barani Afrika, ambayo imewaacha Waafrika milioni 600 bila upatikanaji wa nishati safi ya kisasa." """Kuna haja ya kuongeza nishati mbadala, safi, isiyo na gharama kubwa kama njia ya haraka na bora ya kumaliza kutengwa kwa nishati na kukidhi mahitaji ya Waafrika." "Tunaomba pia kumaliza uchumi wa ubepari na kuhamia uchumi wa upya ambapo watu, wanyama na mimea wanaishi pamoja kwa amani.""" Jamii zinazohusika na madini ya dunia, na pia jamii za kaskazini, zinatumia madini ya dunia kwa faida ya jamii zao. """Tunataka mchakato wa mabadiliko, unaoongozwa na watu, unaohusisha mabadiliko ya haraka ya kijamii, kiuchumi na kisiasa ili kufikia demokrasia ya nishati na kutoa mali ya nishati mbadala mikononi mwa watu na jamii kote bara." """Tunaomba kuwajibisha wachafuzi wakubwa ili wapate kulipa kwa kile wanachosababisha katika nchi za kusini mwa dunia." """Wakati tunalipa, tunadai misaada, sio mikopo, kwa sababu haitufanyii wema kama nchi zinazoendelea." Wanafanya kile wanachohitaji kufanya kwa hasara na uharibifu uliosababishwa. "Kuna haja ya mabadiliko ya nishati, ambayo inamaanisha mabadiliko katika njia tunazozalisha na kutumia nishati katika maisha yetu ya kila siku.""" Serikali na makampuni ya mafuta nchini Uganda yanapaswa kuwekeza zaidi katika njia mbadala za uchumi wa kijani ambayo itaboresha maendeleo ya kijamii na kiuchumi ya nchi. Kwa hiyo, ni lazima tujitahidi kukomesha utegemezi wetu kwa mafuta ya makaa ya mawe. Kwa kifupi, ili kuhakikisha Afrika haijazuiwa katika uzalishaji wa gesi ya mafuta, tunashirikiana na harakati kote Afrika katika kudai mwisho wa gesi ya mafuta na mifumo mingine ya nishati chafu, hatari, ya kizamani na isiyofaa. Mwandishi Iren Twongirwe ni Mkurugenzi Mtendaji wa Women for Green Economy Movement, Uganda.