  Quantum critical phenomena in the quasi-one-dimensional limit remains an open
issue. We report the uniaxial stress effect on the quasi-one-dimensional Kondo
lattice CeCo$_2$Ga$_8$ by electric transport and AC heat capacity measurements.
CeCo$_2$Ga$_8$ is speculated to sit in close vicinity but on the
quantum-disordered side of a quantum critical point. Upon compressing the ${c}$
axis, parallel to the Ce-Ce chain, the onset of coherent Kondo effect is
enhanced. In contrast, the electronic specific heat diverges more rapidly at
low temperature when the intra-chain distance is elongated by compressions
along {a} or {b} axes. These results suggest that a tensile intra-chain strain
($\varepsilon_c >0$) pushes CeCo$_2$Ga$_8$ closer to a quantum critical point,
while a compressive intra-chain strain ($\varepsilon_c <0$) likely causes
departure. Our work provides a rare paradigm of manipulation near a quantum
critical point in a quasi-1D Kondo lattice by uniaxial stress, and paves the
way for further investigations on the unique feature of quantum criticality in
the quasi-1D limit.
