President Museveni has commissioned the Wagagai Gold Mining Project in Busia District, hailing it as a transformative investment that will curb the export of raw minerals and position Uganda as a hub for value addition in the mining sector.
The project, undertaken by Wagagai Mining (U) Ltd., features a multimillion-dollar refinery valued at about Shs740 billion (US$200 million).
The state-of-the-art facility is capable of refining gold to 99.99 percent purity, with an installed capacity to process five tons of gold ore per day.
President Museveni congratulated the Chinese-backed company for fully embracing value addition, a message he has long championed, and praised it for setting a benchmark for Uganda’s mineral sector.
“For decades, Uganda exported blister copper that was not pure enough for direct use and had to be refined abroad before being re-imported. This cycle was a loss to the country,” Museveni said.
“I want to thank Wagagai for listening to my message from the beginning and fully processing the gold. Uganda will get more money.”
The President cautioned that exporting unprocessed minerals amounts to “cheating Uganda” and urged artisanal miners to collaborate with Wagagai so that their gold can be refined locally. He explained that refined gold can now serve industries such as jewellery and electronics, while creating jobs and boosting electricity consumption.
He also thanked the Government of China for its continued support through both private investment and infrastructure projects financed via soft loans.
“This mineral money must give us permanent and most durable assets,” Museveni emphasized. “In order to wake up in the minerals sector, we must have full value addition for all minerals like gold, lithium, tin, among others. Why? Because we get more money, it creates more jobs, and it consumes more electricity.”
Chinese Ambassador to Uganda, Zhang Lizhong, described the Wagagai project as both a driver of Uganda’s industrial progress and a symbol of China–Uganda friendship.
Energy and Mineral Development Minister Ruth Nankabirwa said the facility reflects the government’s agenda of promoting value addition, industrialization, and job creation.
The Wagagai Gold Mining Project is one of the largest mining investments in Uganda and is expected to position Busia District as a regional hub for gold refining.
