Great Lakes Mining Conference Opens in Kampala to Advance Responsible Mining and Community Benefits

What the report says

Nile Post reported that the Africa Centre for Energy and Mineral Policy, working with ENABEL, the Uganda Association of Artisanal and Small-scale Miners and UNDP, has opened the Sixth Great Lakes Mining and Energy Transition Mkutano in Kampala. The two-day meeting is being held at Golf Course Hotel under a theme focused on applying business and human rights practices to improve benefits for communities affected by mining projects.

According to the report, about 120 participants from across the Great Lakes Region are attending, including artisanal miners, community representatives, government officials, civil society groups, development partners and private-sector actors. ACEMP Executive Director Don Bwesigye Biyina said the forum is intended to help mining and energy stakeholders share knowledge, review policy and governance progress, and discuss how communities can better engage with sector players. He also pointed to Uganda’s legal framework under the Mining Act, Cap. 159, and ongoing geoscience work, including exploration in Karamoja.

The discussions are taking place as demand grows for minerals used in clean-energy technologies. Nile Post noted that the region has deposits of copper, cobalt, tin, tungsten, tantalum, gold, rare earths, nickel and graphite, while Uganda has strategic minerals including rare earth elements and graphite in Kitgum. Sessions are also examining major projects such as the Orom Graphite Project and the Makuutu Rare Earths Project.

A major focus is the formalisation and empowerment of artisanal and small-scale miners. ENABEL’s Lucy Peace Nantume said communities are being supported to understand land rights and negotiations, while UGAASM President Bukya John Bosco cited licensing delays, financing gaps and bureaucracy as continuing obstacles. Organisers say the Mkutano aims to strengthen transparency, ESG practices, community development agreements and more durable local benefits from mining.