Tanzanian prisons have begun implementing a government program aimed at shifting from the use of charcoal or fuelwood for cooking to the use of clean energy to save the environment from further degradation, an official said Monday.
Minister for Home Affairs Hamad Masauni said the Prisons Department has started using liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) for cooking food for prisoners at Keko Prison in Dar es Salaam, the commercial hub of Tanzania.
Presenting his ministry’s budget proposals for the 2023/2024 financial year, Masauni said the installation of LPG cooking facilities has been undertaken in 2022/2023 at Ukonga Prison, also located in Dar es Salaam.
He said the government has set aside 1 billion Tanzanian shillings (about 423,003 U.S. dollars) for the installation of LPG cooking facilities in 19 prisons across the country. The minister urged prison authorities to continue planting trees to combat deforestation and as mitigation for climate change.
In April, the government announced that Jan. 31, 2025, will be the final date for institutions, including prisons, to stop using fuelwood or charcoal for cooking.
Tanzania has been promoting the use of clean energy for cooking that will help end the use of charcoal and firewood for cooking, which causes environmental destruction and health hazards.
According to the Vice President’s Office, more than 46,960 hectares of forests are being destroyed annually in Tanzania for making fuelwood and charcoal. Enditem
