Analysis of Household Energy Uses in Mubuga Informal Settlement, Gitega, Burundi

This paper presents an analysis of household energy uses in an informal settlement in Mubuga, Gitega, Burundi. At the time of the survey, the houses in Mubuga were not connected to the national electricity grid. Data were collected from a survey of 100 households through structured and open interviews. Of the interviewed households, 84 percent indicated that they used fuelwood as a primary energy source for cooking. About 94 percent used charcoal for commercial (barbecuing/grilling meat) purposes and 22 percent used it for domestic cooking. For lighting, kerosene accounted for 55 percent followed by candles (36%) and rechargeable lanterns (10%). Households in Mubuga used multiple energy carriers for cooking and heating needs. It is therefore recommended that intervention models that advocate for multiple fuel use should be promoted in the area. This allows indigent families to freely choose cooking fuels from a set of options.