As the government of Uganda continues to devise ways of strengthening the state’s economy especially through diversifying in different sectors like the minerals and energy sectors, Hon. Ruth Nankabirwa the minister of Energy and Mineral Development in the Ugandan cabinet handed over the Kilembe mines to the Uganda National Mining Company (UNMC) and the Sarrai group on 9th May 2025, as part of the ministry’s broad strategic objectives in boosting the mineral and energy sector.
This initiative aims to redevelop the Kilembe mines and extract copper and cobalt with profits to be shared between the Sarrai group, ministries of energy and finance.
It is reported that Kilembe holds an estimated 1.98% copper and 0.17% cobalt while the whole ore is estimated to amount to a whole four million tonnes. Proper utilisation of these resources would aid in realigning Uganda with global shifts towards renewable energy, electric vehicle productions and it could as well position Uganda as a significant player in the global mineral market.
On the other hand , activities to be carried out in the area of Kilembe mines have been marked by natives of the area as a huge cause of environmental degradation. As a result Sarrai group took the lead in clearing rocks that had blocked River Nyamwamba which runs straight through the Kilembe mines as these threatened to cause a flooding disaster in communities surrounding the mine.
About the payment of the different parties participating in the renovation of the Kilembe mines, it is reported that the government signed a deal to share profits from the mines between the government and Sarrai group. Specifics of how much profit is to be shared between each party have not been clearly stated or published to the media yet.
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