President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has today met a group of investors from Strand Hanson Limited, a London based company at State House – Entebbe.
President Museveni accepted their proposal of mining lithium in Ntungamo district that shall be used to locally manufacture electric car batteries. Already Uganda is one of a few African countries producing electric buses and motorbikes with the country’s automakers Kiira Motors Corporation taking the lead.
Museveni informed the investors that Uganda is currently making electric vehicles through Kiira Motors but still importing batteries, citing that this is causing unnecessary additional costs for the country. He assured the investors of a ready market for the lithium batteries.
“I welcome you and support you, please go ahead and make the batteries. We can link you up with Kiira Motors which is making our electric vehicles to buy the batteries from you,” President Museveni said.
The President also assured the investors that the mining license shall be processed for them as soon as possible so that the mining process of lithium can commence.
“The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development will process for you the mining license. I want you to link the mining with the processing,” he said.
Through a partnership with a locally based versatile mining and laboratories company, the investors will mine lithium and manufacture the electric batteries.
Mr. Johnny Kirkl, a representative of Strand Hanson Limited, told the President that the mining site has already been identified in Ntungamo and it is only the mining license remaining to kick off the project.
“I want to look at the possibility with your permission of opening up a factory to manufacture batteries instead of taking lithium out of the country. We should export the batteries after being produced here,” he said.
