Clean Energy Project in Kanungu
In the rural communities of Kanungu District, families still cook over open wood fires — a practice that drives deforestation, degrades air quality, and places a heavy daily burden on women and children tasked with gathering fuel. KKERI's Community Biogas Project addresses this cycle at its root by harnessing one of the most abundant resources in Uganda's cattle-keeping communities: cow dung.
Biogas digesters are installed within households and community clusters. Fresh cow dung is fed into sealed underground tanks where microorganisms break it down through anaerobic digestion, producing clean biogas piped directly into homes for cooking. The process also yields a nutrient-rich liquid digestate that serves as a powerful natural fertiliser for farmland. The result is a closed-loop system that reduces pressure on surrounding forests, improves household health, and boosts agricultural yields — all from waste that would otherwise go unused.
Kanungu's farming communities are deeply interconnected with the forests of south-western Uganda. By replacing firewood with biogas, each household that joins the programme directly relieves pressure on those forests — a quiet but meaningful contribution to Uganda's broader conservation goals.
Cow dung converted into clean, reliable cooking fuel for households
Produces liquid biofertiliser to improve smallholder farm productivity
Reduces firewood demand, directly relieving pressure on surrounding forests
Improves indoor air quality — particularly for women and children
Community-led installation and maintenance training provided
Works in tandem with tree planting for holistic ecosystem recovery
