lack of interest

Uganda: Is the poor business environment to blame for discontinued mining projects?

By Joseph Burite

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Posted on April 4, 2023 10:06

 © An aerial view of Kasese town, western Uganda. REUTERS
An aerial view of Kasese town, western Uganda. REUTERS

Uganda’s south-western district of Kasese was cited over the last decade as the host of the nation’s first geothermal power plant, until the US’ AAE Systems Inc. pulled the plug on the 200MW project amid a legal tussle with its local partner, Katwe Geothermal Power Project Ltd. It is not the only case where a large project was discontinued on the back of such disputes, with the business environment in the East African country brought into question.

“We thought we would have the first inception meeting to get to know what they are going to do, how the community is going to benefit, which was not done,” says Kasese district’s deputy chairman, Hamu Natuhwera, a seasoned community mobiliser. “People had wanted it, everyone was eager to know the process, how it will be running but we never heard from them actually up to today,” he tells The Africa Report.

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