Founder & CEO
Sonko Jamal
Founder & CEO
Sonko Jamal
Serial entrepreneur with a vision for clean energy. Leads Kyuka Ventures' strategy, partnerships and the scale up of our circular clean cooking platform across Uganda.
ABOUT US
Turning Uganda's plastic crisis into clean cooking energy
Founded in 2022 by Sonko Jamal, Kyuka Ventures Innovation Hub sits at the intersection of clean energy, waste management and climate action, built in Kampala, designed for the continent.
Our story
Two crises, one circular solution
Plastic waste blocks drainage, pollutes communities, enters waterways and is often burned or dumped. At the same time, millions of Ugandan households still rely on charcoal and firewood, exposing families to indoor smoke, fuel insecurity and rising costs.
Kyuka connects these challenges into one model: recover low value plastic, convert it into clean cooking fuel, distribute it through affordable Pay As You Cook access, and create dignified income for women and youth.
What we stand for
A mission you can feel in every kitchen
Mission
Transform plastic waste into affordable clean cooking energy.
Create green jobs and protect communities from pollution, deforestation and energy poverty.
Vision
Clean cooking access for every household. Value from every kilo of waste.
A future where every low income household can cook cleanly, and every city can turn plastic waste into productive value.
Dignity first
Every customer, collector and team member is treated with respect, from kitchen training to fair pay.
Community built
Hubs are co designed with women, youth and local leaders. Nothing about them, without them.
Circular by design
Waste, energy, jobs and data-flow in a loop, not-a line. Every kilo carries value.
Quietly engineered
Soot-Free Reactive Extraction, AI optimisation and safety standards do the heavy lifting.
Founder
Led by climate entrepreneur Sonko Jamal
Sonko Jamal is a climate entrepreneur, mechanical engineer by training and 2025 #MeetTheMB100 honouree. He leads strategy, partnerships and the scale up of Kyuka's circular clean cooking platform across Uganda.
Before founding Kyuka, Sonko spent four years in industrial waste management and renewable energy projects across East Africa. He founded Kyuka in 2022 with a simple conviction: Africa's plastic crisis and Africa's cooking crisis are the same crisis, and they can solve each other.
He represents Kyuka in policy dialogues with KCCA, NEMA and the Clean Cooking Alliance, and is a regular speaker on circular economy and women led climate enterprise.
The journey
From a single hub to a regional platform
2022
Kyuka founded in Kampala
Sonko Jamal launches the first plastic to fuel R&D under the Innovation Hub.
2023
Katanga community pilot
First waste to LPG hub goes live with women collectors and an early PAYG cohort.
2024
Independent climate validation
Pilot results reviewed by independent climate monitors and ecosystem partners.
2025
Recognised in #MeetTheMB100
Featured among Meaningful Business' top-100 leaders building a better future.
2026
Regional scale up
Modular Kyuka hubs prepared for replication across East Africa.
Leadership team
The people building Uganda'scircular clean cooking platform.
Climate entrepreneurs, engineers and community builders behind Kyuka Ventures.
Chief Operating Officer
Ashaba Ajrah
Twelve plus years building operational infrastructure. Oversees day to day operations, community programmes and the Waste Insure rollout.
Chief Technology Officer
Lavia Mello
Technologist leading our patent pending plastic to LPG conversion process, reactor design, fuel quality control and R&D.
Chief Sustainability Officer
Namukose Mariam
Co-founder with ten years in waste management. Leads sustainability strategy, ESG reporting and women led collection networks.
Chief Financial Officer
Nandawula Gillian
Finance executive with ten plus years of experience. Leads finance, investor reporting and capital strategy for Kyuka's expansion.
Advisory Board
Senior advisors across environment,policy, community and finance.
Independent voices from Uganda's regulatory, civic and community development networks who guide Kyuka's growth, safety and impact strategy.
Sserunga Zubair
Advisory Board
National Environment Management Authority (NEMA)
Environmental compliance and regulatory affairs
Lubowa Henery
Advisory Board
Citizen Driven Action
Civic engagement and community mobilisation
Abenaitwe Humayiya
Advisory Board
Pendeza
Women in clean energy and household adoption
Matini Janepher
Advisory Board
Women Income Network. Lets Go
Women livelihoods and cooperative finance
Munyagwa Mubarak
Advisory Board
Parliament of Uganda
Policy, energy access and public affairs
Source: Kyuka Ventures pitch deck, 2026
Community stories
Climate innovation works best when it puts people first.
Real stories from households, women waste collectors, food vendors, youth collection teams and community hub leaders.
Katanga, Kampala, Kyuka pilot community
"
Before Kyuka, plastic had no value here. Now I collect 8, 10 kg every morning before-school runs, and my-children see the difference at home.
Sarah N.
Waste collector & mother of three, Katanga
Real people. Real kitchens. Real change.
Snapshots from our PAYG rollout, collection hubs and community trainings across Kampala.
"
I used to spend UGX 4,500 on charcoal every day for my food stall. With Pay As You Cook, I top up UGX 2,000 and cook all day. The smoke is gone too.
Aisha M.
Food vendor, Mengo market
"
Cooking with Kyuka gas saved me almost two hours a day, no more collecting firewood, no more red eyes from smoke. My baby breathes easier.
Grace K.
Household customer, Wakiso