Kabale locals ask Museveni to maintain ban on raw iron ore exports

Kabale leaders and residents have raised concerns regarding the exploitation and mining of iron ore in the district.

They said several private companies continue to transport raw ore out of the district, benefiting mainly individuals and middlemen, despite the 2015 ban imposed by President Museveni on the export of unprocessed minerals, including iron ore.

Ms Kashemire Hilder, the Assistant Town Clerk of Kabale Municipal Council, expressed the need for mining regulatory authorities to intervene and ensure the iron ore extraction process leads to mineral industrialisation within the district, which could help local communities benefit from value-added processes.

“Iron ore is the mineral that we should be proud of as Kabale but uncountable trucks are transporting it to destinations we don’t know yet as a district we miss a lot of benefits from iron ore mining, “said Ms Kashemire.

Mr Henry Tumwesigye, the Kabale District natural resources officer, echoed this concern, saying a lack of value addition and the uncontrolled exploitation of the iron ore could lead to the depletion of the resource in the coming years, leaving the district without a sustainable economic activity.

“The rate at which private companies exploit iron ore here is alarming, and by the time we get the factory, we might not have this mineral resource to feed into the factory,” he said.

Mr Tumwesigye also appealed to President Museveni to reconsider his directive, as he believes that allowing raw iron ore to be transported and exported without any local processing has hindered the district's ability to earn royalties and create lasting economic opportunities.

The call for a factory in the district, which President Museveni had promised in the past, was reiterated by Ms Flavia Kanagizi, the speaker of Kabale District council, and Mr Austin Christmas, a resident of Rwakaraba Village, who emphasised that such a facility would not only provide jobs but also boost the local economy through tourism and agricultural product markets, as Kabale is known for its agricultural output.

The Uganda Investment Authority [UIA] places total deposits of the rock at 500 million tonnes, with 200 million tonnes of those confirmed in the Kigezi Sub-region alone; according to a government geological survey carried out between 2014 and 2015.