KASESE.
Government has finally handed over the idle Kilembe Mines to Sarrai Group Ltd and Nile Fibreboard Ltd in a renewed move to revamp copper production in Uganda.
Sarrai Group Ltd is a diversified East African conglomerate with investments in agriculture, manufacturing, and energy. Headquartered in Uganda, the company owns Kinyara Sugar Works and Hoima Sugar Ltd and operates across Kenya, Malawi, and Uganda.
Energy and Mineral Development Minister ,Ms Ruth Nankabirwa Ssentamu who presided over the handover ceremony on Friday described the move as milestone in Uganda’s push to add value to its mineral resources under the National Development Plan IV and the African Transformation Mining Strategy (ATMS).
“This flagship project will produce copper cathodes and cobalt metal, critical for the transition to clean energy technologies, and drive Uganda’s industrialisation,” said Minister Nankabirwa.
She advised the local leadership in Kasese to support the investment so that it can review the local economy .
“Government has delivered the investment; it is now our collective duty to protect it and unlock the full potential of Kilembe Mines for our people,” she said .
The project is being undertaken in partnership with the Uganda National Mining Company (UNMC), which holds a 15 percent equity stake.
Kilembe Mines is Uganda’s largest copper mine, located in the foothills of the Rwenzori Mountains With estimated deposits of over 4 million tons of copper ore and an undetermined amount of cobalt ore, with approximately 2,800 acres of unexplored acreage.