A defiant mining industry is testing whether transparency in Uganda’s extractive sector can survive on goodwill alone Kampala, Uganda | RONALD MUSOKE | When Gloria Mugambe, the Head of Uganda’s EITI Secretariat (UGEITI) stepped up to the podium at the launch of the country’s Fourth Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) Report …
Read More »The case for a Uganda mineral exploration fund
COMMENT | ERIC ODONGO | It is no longer in doubt that Uganda is endowed with considerably vast amounts of minerals. Dating as far back as colonial times in 1925, when the oil potential was first documented, exploration has and continues to support mineral development in Uganda. According to the …
Read More »Uganda’s minerals sector still struggles to tell the full story
Fourth EITI report reveals companies still dodge key disclosures as beneficial ownership data remains thin and contract transparency has barely moved NEWS ANALYSIS | RONALD MUSOKE | When Uganda’s fourth Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) Report was released in Kampala on Nov.20, the message that threaded through Protea Hotel’s ground floor …
Read More »Malawian president issues executive order prohibiting raw mineral exports
LILONGWE | Xinhua | Malawian President Peter Mutharika has issued an executive order banning the export of raw, unprocessed minerals as the country gears itself up to develop its wide range of mineral resources. The order was released on Saturday, reaffirming the government’s commitment to “ensuring the sustainable development and …
Read More »Uganda’s minerals boon moment?
Could adoption of continental mining vision propel country’s development agenda? Kampala, Uganda | RONALD MUSOKE | It is an open secret that Uganda sits on a geological treasure map. From gold-rich belts in the country’s northeastern province of Karamoja to deposits of critical transition minerals now prized by global clean-energy …
Read More »Sharpening Africa’s edge in the diamond sector
With new polishing hubs, traceability standards, and policy reforms, the continent is seeking a bigger share of diamond wealth SPECIAL REPORT | BIRD AGENCY | A new diamond polishing facility in South Africa has sparked discussions about beneficiation and ethical trade, as the continent seeks to capture more value from …
Read More »Africa is defining the new scramble
Africa is setting the terms for the new scramble for its minerals by pooling regional strengths and mobilizing capital. Several nations are tightening export rules, demanding more local processing and value addition as the global competition for its mineral resources heightens to power the latest ambitions in tech. SPECIAL REPORT …
Read More »Why Uganda’s oil story is incomplete without President Museveni
“Uganda’s oil and gas story is still being written. But it cannot be told in full without recognising the leadership that turned forgotten potential into an opportunity for generations.” COMMENT | DR FRED KABAGAMBE-KALIISA | Veteran Ugandan journalist Tonny Owana recently shared a 1980 article by Ilakut Ben Bella, first …
Read More »Gold laundering capital?
Uganda bets on ICGLR’s mineral certification mechanism as it battles for legitimacy in the global gold market COVER STORY | RONALD MUSOKE | For years, Uganda has carried the uncomfortable label of being “the gold laundering capital of Africa.” Watchdog reports, including investigations by the UN Panel on the Illegal Exploitation of …
Read More »Inside the DRC and Ukraine
How international involvement in the affairs of these two countries has complicated internal conflict resolution THE LAST WORD | Andrew M. Mwenda | The DRC and Ukraine may be geographically and culturally apart but they share many similarities. DRC is the second largest country in Africa, after Algeria. Ukraine is the second largest …
Read More »
The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price