Makerere University, through the college of agriculture and environmental sciences (CAES), has launched a solar powered cooker, the MakSol cooker.
The MakSol cooker was launched on June 14th with an intent of reducing the cooking carbon footprint in households. The cooker was designed by CAES and manufactured by IntelliSys (U) Ltd with financial aid from Makerere Research and Innovation Fund and the government of Uganda.
With a battery life of 5 years and 20 years for the solar panels, the cooker comes with seven unique benefits; zero emissions, zero recurring cooking costs, clean cooking, minimal fire outbreak, easy to clean, minimal heat loss to the surrounding and a cool kitchen.
The MakSol will help combat climate change and reduce environmental degradation through reducing black carbon emissions.
The launch of MakSol was graced by Makerere University’s vice chancellor Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe, and Dr. Brian Isabirye the commissioner renewable energy in the ministry of energy and mineral development.
Speaking at the launch, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe congratulated CAES for coming up with the MakSol, noting that such innovations are the future of Uganda.
Nawangwe tasked the innovators to come up with different models of the MakSol and ensure that the cooker is affordable for an average Ugandan.
Prof. Nawangwe also called upon government to double the funds given to Makerere Research and Innovation Fund (Mak-RIF) because the extra funding will increase the number of innovations coming out of Makerere University.
Makerere’s vice chancellor further cited the need to protect intellectual property and urged the MakSol innovators to jealously guard their innovation.
