Kilembe Mines, K-Roma secure Shs4.4b tax waivers

What the report says

Parliament in Uganda has approved waivers totaling Shs4.46 billion in accumulated tax and non-tax arrears for K-Roma Limited and Kilembe Mines Limited (KML), easing liabilities that had built up over several years. The motions were passed on Wednesday, November 11, 2026, in a sitting chaired by Speaker Jacob Marksons Oboth, according to Watchdog Uganda.

For K-Roma, the relief covers Shs1.86 billion in tax arrears. The company, known for making Bella Wine, had liabilities spread across excise duty, VAT and income tax. The parliamentary finance committee said the business faced pressure from the COVID-19 period and rising competition from informal producers, while also noting weaknesses in inventory control and borrowing as sales fell between 2021 and 2023.

Kilembe Mines, which is majority state-owned, was granted a write-off of Shs2.6 billion in non-tax revenue linked to mineral rent. The mine has remained under care and maintenance since copper production stopped in 1982, and the arrears accumulated after a concession ended in 2017. The committee said government underfunding contributed to the unpaid obligations.

The waivers drew debate in the House. Opposition leader Joel Ssenyonyi questioned the legal process and warned about the message it could send to taxpayers, while Defence and Veteran Affairs Minister Kiryowa Kiwanuka said the tax authority had already tried and failed to recover the money. Speaker Oboth urged the finance ministry to inform businesses about waiver provisions. The decisions are relevant because they affect state revenue, company restructuring and the handling of distressed firms in Uganda.