KAMPALA
The East African community member states being part of the United Nations family are obliged to participate in all activities under the 17 listed Sustainable development Goals (SDGs) which are geared towards empowering their citizens to continuously become productive as well as actively participating in the development agenda of their respective countries with the SDGs being their guiding Bible.
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And as a result, Uganda is set to join the rest of the UN family in participating in the 2023 5th SDG run which is set for 29th October 2023 at Kololo independence grounds whose objectives are to see that each individual member state critically reviews the performance and achievements attained previously as well as looking at the new future in regard to the implementation of these SDGs which are left with only seven years to expire.
The first deputy prime minister and minister for East African Community affairs Rebecca Kadaga officially launched and unveiled the 5th edition of the SDGs run kit organized by GO Green a local NGO dealing in conservation of environment and promoting tree planting campaigns as well as receiving donations from various sponsors which activity she performed at her ministry’s board room at Kingdom Kampala on the 18th October 2023.
Kadaga used the opportunity to encourage the population from across the country to actively turn up in large numbers and be counted as those that see and appreciate the values embedded in the UN SDGs strategies by buying the kits for the common good of mankind.
She commended DTB Bank as represented by Samule Matekha which donated USD$5000, as well as the Uganda communications commission (UCC) which handed in a dummy cheque of USD$2000 respectively.
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Others who sponsored the event include next media which gave 100M/ World Wide Fund (WWF), National Enterprises Corporation (NEC) of the UPDF who pledged to offer their high quality Uzima drinking water, Uganda Police force offering a strong force of 200 men and women for security, Biogas Solutions Ltd, Buganda Kingdom for goodwill among others
The commissioner renewable energy at the ministry of energy and mineral development Dr. Brian Isabirye said the country needs to do a lot more in fighting injustices that lead to the clandestine destruction of the forests and that strong measures be put in place to ensure the country’s natural ecosystem was effectively protected by the responsible authorities as well as prosecuting the perpetrators.
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As Africa we are not tracking SDDC you note that over 600 million people voted 43% of these people from this continent lack access to electricity, and most of them are within this country and indeed this quarter as the country we are currently at 57% access, meaning that the rest of the people in this country don’t have any form of access to electricity, he said.
Isabirye added that in terms of cooking this is even worse. About 970 million Africans lack access to clean cooking with most of the people in Africa relying on traditional use of biomass, which has social and environmental implications. Therefore, this indicates that it is in direct correlation between economic growth and electricity supply. So, countries that are poor in terms of electricity supply are also way down.
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The US the per capita consumption, every person is at about 1000-Watt hour, so an individual that 1000-kilowatt hour, the average of Europe is 6500. The global average is about 3000 kilowatt hours, Uganda’s average per capital is 215, this informs how low we are in terms of access.
The Sub-Saharan Africa, our current access on average, if you take out South Africa is 552, so our access is still low and indeed, this has implications on our development, noting that this run that we are launching today is critical because it sends out a clear message that without energy, there will be no sustainable farming.
“Poverty will increase, food insecurity, and gender climate action education will fail” said Isabirye.
Ivan Tumuhimbise , Country Director World Wildlife Fund Uganda said, In Uganda and globally the challenge of renewable energy remains an issue, currently households with access to electrify in Uganda are below 40%, the rest of the communities in Uganda depend on biomass and each time communities depend on biomass it means they are the main drivers of deforestation and as we drive deforestation, subsequently they are affecting the environment, first for people and also the biodiversity and emissions of greenhouse gases.
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“Uganda seeks to realize SDG number seven, there is need to work together to ensure that there are mechanisms and ways in which are able to disrupt dependency on biomass for energy. Uganda in some rural areas, almost 90% of households depend on firewood or fuel for that matter, and just only the 10% access the alternative use of energy” Tumuhimbise noted