First 10,000 stoves now being distributed in south-western Uganda as DelAgua expands its carbon-financed clean cooking programme into its fourth African country.
DelAgua, the world’s leading carbon project developer in clean cookstoves for rural sub-Saharan Africa, has announced that stove distributions have begun in Uganda, delivered in partnership with Carbon Horizon, a division of global energy company Union Energy. Pilot phase distributions of 10,000 improved cookstoves have begun, with a target of scaling to 200,000 stoves within the next 12 months. The rollout marks the first major milestone since the partnership was announced earlier this year and brings DelAgua’s flagship Live Well programme to rural households in south-western Uganda for the first time.
“Uganda marks an exciting new chapter for Live Well and an important step in our ambition to bring clean cooking to rural communities across Africa. We’re proud to be building the programme with a strong local team and in close partnership with government and communities. The first 10,000 stoves are just the start, our goal is to scale rapidly, delivering lasting benefits for families, local economies and the environment.” Euan McDougall CEO DelAgua
“Reaching the distribution phase in Uganda is a proud and significant milestone for Carbon Horizon, made possible through our partnership with DelAgua. It’s the point where our impact becomes visible in local households and communities.” – Eli Alfassi, CEO Carbon Horizon
Project delivered by a local team
DelAgua has recruited and onboarded a locally based operations team to lead implementation in Uganda. A team of 4 managers and 12 operations and logistics staff is delivering the pilot phase alongside 61 Village Health Team (VHT) members, all trained in household education, data capture, and post-distribution support. Following the pilot, DelAgua expects to grow this number to 50 full-time employees and 2,000 VHTs as the programme scales toward 200,000 stoves, creating further local employment opportunities. This local-first staffing model ensures institutional knowledge remains in-country and gives households a lasting point of contact long after a stove is delivered, reflecting DelAgua’s broader commitment to building local capacity and economic opportunity.
Working in partnership with Government
DelAgua has received a Letter of No Objection from the Ministry of Water & Environment and a Letter of Recommendation from the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development, confirming the programme’s alignment with national energy access and climate priorities. Following the pilot distributions, DelAgua will submit the necessary documents to obtain a Letter of Approval from Ministry of Water and Environment in line with the National Carbon Market Framework. This process affirms DelAgua’s commitment to work in partnership with host governments and reduces regulatory risk for future credit issuances.
Local Stakeholder Consultations and Field Operations
DelAgua conducted local stakeholder consultations at national and local levels reflecting the collaborative approach that underpins our programme. Engaging government and local leaders early ensures the initiative is designed in partnership with the communities it serves, not simply delivered to them. This approach is central to sustained stove adoption and long-term programme success.
Additionally, beneficiary household name collection and ground-truthing has been completed across 3 sub counties in Ntungamo district. This is a crucial step in establishing a high integrity carbon project. This process verifies, household by household, that beneficiaries are real, correctly located, and genuinely in need of a clean cooking solution, thereby closing off the data gaps and duplication risks.
Uganda is the fourth country in DelAgua’s growing portfolio of operations, joining Rwanda, The Gambia and Sierra Leone. Households receiving a Live Well stove will benefit from the same integrated model: a high-quality, fuel-efficient stove provided at 100% subsidy, combined with one-on-one household education, ongoing support and monitoring, delivered by a locally trained team and funded through carbon finance.
About DelAgua
DelAgua is a social enterprise with more than a decade of experience implementing large scale carbon development projects that transform the lives of rural households in Least Developed Countries across Africa. The Live Well programme exclusively targets rural communities who are otherwise unable to afford the transition to clean cooking. More than 2 million improved cookstoves have been distributed across Rwanda, The Gambia, Sierra Leone and Uganda. The programme generates independently verified carbon credits that fund continued scale and innovation.
For more information, please contact:
DelAgua Group CEO – Euan McDougall [email protected]
DelAgua Group Communications Director – Kate Bruges [email protected]
