With more than 80 percent of Tanzanians still relying on firewood and charcoal for cooking
Dar es Salaam. Mwananchi Communications Limited (MCL) has pledged to stand at the frontline of Tanzania’s clean cooking revolution, committing its powerful media platforms and outreach to support the country’s ambitious energy transition goals.
Speaking during the Clean Cooking Forum held in Dar es Salaam, MCL Managing Director, Ms Rosalynn Mndolwa-Mworia, said the company recognises that the challenge is not only about technology but about saving lives, protecting the environment, and ensuring the dignity and health of millions of households.
“Clean cooking is not just about technology—it is about saving lives, protecting the environment, and ensuring the health and dignity of millions of households in Tanzania,” she said.
With more than 80 percent of Tanzanians still relying on firewood and charcoal for cooking, the MD underlined the urgency of collective action. “Over 80 percent of Tanzanians still depend on firewood and charcoal. The challenge is immense—but change is possible if we act together,” she stressed.
Ms Mworia thanked the government, private sector, and development partners for standing with Mwananchi Communications in advancing the clean cooking agenda.
She paid special tribute to sponsors including the Ministry of Energy, the Ministry of Water, Energy and Minerals in Zanzibar, the African Enterprise Challenge Fund (AECF), EWURA, Azania Group, Taifa Gas, NBC Bank, TANESCO, Natkern, and ZURA.
“We are grateful to our enablers and sponsors who have made this journey possible. Your support shows the power of collaboration in tackling one of the greatest health and environmental challenges of our time,” she said.
The MD made a special call to philanthropists and development partners to join the effort, noting that the transition to clean cooking cannot succeed through government and private sector efforts alone.
“We call for philanthropic partnerships and sustained funding to carry this agenda forward and make it a national budgetary priority,” she said.
She linked MCL’s commitment to Tanzania’s long-term national vision.
“In the context of the Tanzania Development Vision 2050, this journey is about more than technology: it is about saving lives, improving the health of women and children, protecting our forests and unlocking new economic opportunities.
It is our collective duty to ensure that by 2034, eight out of ten households have access to clean cooking energy.”
MCL, she explained, will use its full suite of platforms—including newspapers, digital channels, social media, and partner radio stations—to keep the conversation alive and ensure communities are directly engaged.
"Through Mwananchi Communications, we will ensure this conversation does not end here, but reaches every village, every household, every person,” she said.
Beyond the media, the company also plans community-level engagements to spark dialogue and action at grassroots level.
“Step by step—Safari ni Hatua—we move forward together,” she concluded.
The Clean Cooking Forum 2025 brought together government officials, private sector leaders, development partners, and civil society groups, all seeking ways to accelerate Tanzania’s clean energy transition.
