By Humphrey Asiimwe
Africa-Press – Uganda. In boardrooms from New York to Shanghai, London to Cape Town, a new kind of “gold rush” is underway. It’s a quiet, strategic scramble not for oil, but for the fundamental building blocks of our clean energy future—the critical minerals that power every electric vehicle, every wind turbine, every piece of military hardware, every battery, and every smartphone. For too long, our continent’s vast mineral wealth was seen as a resource to be extracted and shipped away. But today, here in Uganda, that narrative is changing. This isn’t just a global trend; it’s a definitive moment for our nation to seize its destiny and become a key player in this green revolution.
The second edition of our “30 Days of Mining Media Campaign,” which acts as a prelude to the 14th annual Mineral Wealth Conference, serves as a crucial platform to showcase this profound shift. We are moving from a narrative of potential to a blueprint for action, telling the story of how Uganda’s mining sector is not just awakening, but actively transforming itself to align with the highest standards of transparency, sustainability, and equitable development.
To truly appreciate the current transformation, it is essential to understand the historical context. A 2011 report on the mineral sector in the Karamoja region paints a vivid picture of the past. The sector was largely defined by a reliance on informal, or “extralegal,” artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM). This informal economy meant the government lost out on a significant UGX 5.8 billion in royalties, highlighting a major gap between the sector’s economic activity and its contribution to national development.
This reality has been definitively challenged by a new era of industrial-scale production. A landmark achievement in this transition is the Wagagai Gold Mining Project, which represents Uganda’s first large-scale gold mine. This development is not merely a single project; it is a powerful symbol of the new political will and legal framework that has fundamentally changed the industry’s trajectory. As reported, the Wagagai plant is designed to process 5,000 tons of gold ore daily, with a projected annual production of 1.2 metric tons of refined gold at 99.98% purity. To put this into perspective, Uganda’s total domestic gold production in 2023 was a mere
0.0042 tons. The Wagagai project alone signifies an extraordinary production increase of approximately 28,500% over prior volumes, showcasing a direct link between a modern legal framework and tangible economic outcomes.
The transformation extends far beyond gold. Recent geological surveys have confirmed a diverse portfolio of other critical minerals, positioning Uganda as a strategic future supplier for multiple global industries. These include some of the world’s largest Rare Earth Element (REE) deposits at Makuutu, estimated at 532 million tonnes. The country also boasts over 318 million tonnes of indicated iron ore (haematite) reserves, with an inferred potential of over 1 billion tonnes. Such confirmed deposits are ripe for investment and value addition, offering a clear path for Uganda to contribute to global supply chains, particularly for the rapidly growing green technology sector.
This unprecedented growth is not a happy accident; it is the direct result of a carefully considered and modernized legal and regulatory framework. The cornerstone of this new era is the Mining and Minerals Act of 2022, a comprehensive legislative overhaul that introduced competitive bidding, a full suite of license categories for all scales of mining, and the creation of the Uganda National Mining Company (UNMC) to manage state interests.
A central pillar of this new framework is the government’s commitment to transparency and efficiency through digitization. The Mining Cadastre and Registry System (MCRS) is a state-of-the-art online platform that simplifies the entire licensing process, allowing applicants to register, apply for licenses, track their application status, and submit reports from a single, transparent portal. This online system directly addresses the historical challenges of bureaucracy and opacity that often hinder foreign investment.
Uganda is also actively playing a responsible role in the global supply chain. In November 2023, the country launched its Mineral Certification for 3TG minerals (Tin, Tantalum, Tungsten, and Gold). This certification is a critical step towards eradicating regional conflicts and ensuring that Ugandan minerals are responsibly sourced. By aligning with international due diligence requirements, Uganda is positioning itself as a reliable and ethical supplier, a crucial signal to foreign investors who prioritize Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles in their investment decisions.
Furthermore, the government is strategically thinking about how to maximize the financial benefits of this mineral boom for national development. The proposed Domestic Revenue Mobilisation Strategy (DRMS) 2025/26–2029/30 outlines the development of a hybrid fiscal regime that combines royalties with income taxes and introduces windfall taxes to capture peak market value. This strategic fiscal planning demonstrates a commitment to ensuring that mineral wealth translates into sustainable public financing for national priorities like infrastructure and power stations, as explicitly stated by President Museveni.
This transformation is not just about large-scale projects and fiscal policy; it is fundamentally about the people. The old narrative of artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) painted a picture of poverty, dangerous working conditions, and social risks like child labor and the use of toxic mercury. However, the modern approach recognizes that the estimated 400,000 individuals directly engaged in ASM, and up to 600,000 who benefit from the value chain, are not a problem but an existing economic engine to be harnessed. The new policy framework is deliberately designed to formalize and empower this grassroots sector. This formalization process is supported by impactful, on-the-ground initiatives such as the PlanetGOLD Uganda project, which aims to reduce mercury use by 15 tons over five years while providing financial inclusion and mercury-free technologies to 4,500 artisanal miners.
Uganda holds a unique competitive advantage in the global market: the ability to produce minerals with a low carbon footprint. Our electricity grid is powered by over 90% renewable energy, predominantly from hydropower. This fact positions the country as a leader in “green mining,” directly addressing global climate goals and attracting ESG-conscious investors who are committed to decarbonizing their supply chains.
The government is not only leveraging this green energy advantage but is also actively promoting a policy of value addition. President Museveni has explicitly called for “full value addition for all minerals like gold, lithium, tin, among others,” a mandate that is being translated into tangible policy actions. The export of unprocessed iron ore has been prohibited to encourage the establishment of integrated steel plants within the country. This policy of in-country beneficiation is designed to capture a greater percentage of the final market value, create jobs, and foster industrial development. This strategic approach is also exemplified by a new organic fertilizer factory in the Mpigi district, which will use complementary minerals to boost farm output.
Finally, Uganda’s strategic location in East Africa and its relatively stable political environment offer a compelling solution to a global geopolitical problem. With a handful of nations controlling the majority of the world’s refining capacity for critical minerals, there is a strong and growing demand for supply chain diversification. Uganda is ready to fill that need, presenting itself as a new, stable, and ethical source for the raw materials of the future.
The story of Uganda’s mineral sector is one of deliberate and dramatic transformation. The challenges of the past, characterized by informality and uncaptured value, have given way to a new era of transparency, governance, and industrial-scale production. The government’s commitment, articulated through the 2022 Mining Act and strategic projects like the Wagagai gold mine, is a powerful signal to the world that Uganda is not just open for business but is building a responsible and sustainable foundation for its mineral wealth.
The 14th Mineral Wealth Conference, with its theme of “Sustainable Mineral Development Through Collaboration, Innovation, and Green Transitions,” is the culmination of this national effort. It is the essential forum where the opportunities discussed, the solutions presented, and the commitments made can be explored, debated, and actualized. We invite investors, partners, and innovators to attend the conference, to connect directly with key decision-makers, and to witness firsthand the compelling opportunities available. The journey to unlock Uganda’s critical mineral wealth has begun, and it promises to be a journey of partnership, prosperity, and progress for all
The writer is the Chief Executive Officer of Uganda Chamber of Energy and Minerals.
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