President Museveni has commissioned the Wagagai Gold Mining Project in Busia district, describing it as a transformative milestone that will end the wasteful export of raw minerals and usher Uganda into a new era of value addition.
During the commissioning, the president congratulated Wagagai Mining (U) Co. Ltd. for establishing a state-of-the-art refinery capable of producing 99.9% pure gold.
He noted that for decades Uganda only exported blister copper, which was not pure enough for direct use and had to be refined abroad before being re-imported.
He said this cycle was a loss to the country and praised Wagagai for being able to purify gold to 99.9% purity. “I want to thank Wagagai for listening to my message from the beginning and fully processing the gold. Uganda will get more money,” he noted.
The president cautioned that exporting raw materials amounts to cheating Uganda and urged artisanal miners to work with Wagagai so that their gold can be refined locally instead of being sold unprocessed.
He added that refined gold can now be used in jewellery, electronics, and other industries, and thanked Wagagai for being a “residential teacher” by helping others learn from its example. “When you export unprocessed minerals, you are cheating Uganda,” he added.
President Museveni also thanked the government of China for its continued support to Uganda, citing not only investors like Wagagai but also infrastructure projects financed through soft loans.
He called on Ugandans to recognize that there is a time for everything and that now is the time to utilize natural resources responsibly. Museveni stressed that money from non-renewable minerals and oil should be invested in permanent assets such as durable power stations and the railway.
“This mineral money must give us permanent and most durable assets in order to wake up in the minerals sector, we must have full value addition for all minerals like gold, lithium, tin among others and that is because we get more money, it creates more jobs, and it consumes more electricity.”
The Ambassador of China to Uganda, Zhang Lizhong, thanked the president for officiating at the launch and commended Uganda for fostering a conducive investment environment that has allowed Chinese companies to thrive.
He said the project is not only a symbol of China–Uganda friendship but also a driver of industrial progress.
Ruth Nankabirwa, the Minister of Energy and Mineral Development, said the Wagagai Gold Mining Project reflects the government’s objective of promoting local value addition and job creation.
“ This project aims at enhancing local value addition, creating jobs and boosting Uganda’s economy, aligning with the NRM Manifesto, Vision 2040 and the National Development Plan”. She said.
