The Vice President Rtd. Maj. Jesca Alupo says the Government has released 4.2 billion shillings this financial year to reviving the Kilembe Mines Limited-KML.
KML has been dormant for 30 years, despite efforts by the government to revamp it.
While addressing a political rally in Karusandara sub-county in Busongora South constituency by-election, Rtd. Maj. Alupo explained that the money go towards rehabilitation works on broken bridges, and the power supply as the identifies a potential investor.
The Uganda People’s Defence Forces -UPDF engineering brigade are currently reconstructing bridges that were destroyed by floods in 2020 to ease accessibility to the mines.
“The UPDF engineering brigade are now there at Kilembe Mines to fix the bridges that River Nyamwamba washed and the energy plant for Kilembe mines and the broken pipes which we saw there.” She stated
According to Alupo prospective investors have already started expressing interest at the Ministries of Finance and Energy. The investor will get an exploration license to explore more copper reserves for mining.
Alupo said a number of potential investors have filed their interest and both the ministry of finance and energy are in advance stages to identify the successful one.
The investor will be awarded exploration license and will be required to carry out new explorations to see if more reserves of copper can be mined.
“Advertising Kilembe Mines was already done and investors applied at both ministries and they are now at advanced stages of identifying one investor, and we expect to unveil the investor in the next two months.” She explained
She added that the government had also paid off part of salary arrears for the staff maintaining the mines and was in the process of reaching an agreement with the family of Sir George David Kamurasi Rukiidi III who is a minority shareholder before the investor is introduced.
In 2020, three devastating floods destroyed infrastructure at the mines including a tailings dam, Mobuku I hydropower plant, the industrial and domestic water system, the administration block, and workshops.
The mines comprise a greenfield exploration area, a brownfield project comprising of a hard rock copper mine and processing plant, a hydro power plant known as Mubuku I, auxiliary mine facilities, cobalt-rich tailings, and associated minerals ‘(collectively referred to as “Kilembe Mines”) operated by KML.
Copper extraction ceased in 1982 due to the degenerated smelter in Jinja, the global collapse of mineral commodity prices, dilapidated equipment, high inflation, and the insecurity at the time.
Campaigns for the Busongora South constituency by-election, NRM candidate, Gideon Mujungu are already ongoing.
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