mineral wealth

Uganda: Can green energy help restore Kilembe Mine’s heyday?

By Robert Bociaga

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Posted on January 16, 2023 13:33

© Mine staff conducting recent works has not been paid for over one year. (photo: Robert Bociaga) — Mine staff conducting recent works has not been paid for over one year. (photo: Robert Bociaga)

Copper, cobalt, and other crucial minerals are leading the green energy transition, thanks to their electrical and thermal conductivity. As the world seeks to accomplish the objective of zero net emissions by 2050, Uganda’s underperforming Kilembe Mine could stand to benefit. However, stern challenges need to be tackled to achieve its full potential.

Lying at the feet of snow-capped Rwenzori Mountain, the small settlement called Kilembe in Kasese District is today a shadow of its splendid past, when it was bustling with life, housing hundreds of miners and contributing to roughly one third of Uganda’s GDP.

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