Museveni Directs UPDF to Help Crack Down on Mineral Smuggling

What the report says

President Yoweri Museveni has ordered the Uganda People’s Defence Forces to assist mineral-sector officials in curbing alleged smuggling and helping local processors obtain raw materials, according to a Nile Post report. The directive was contained in a letter dated September 7, 2026, addressed to the Chief of Defence Forces at the Ministry of Defence and Veterans Affairs headquarters in Mbuya.

Nile Post reports that Museveni asked for a military officer to be assigned to the 2nd Division area to work with the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development on the issue. He said illegal mining and unprocessed exports were undermining investment, government revenue and the country’s drive toward value addition in minerals such as steel-related iron ore, tin and wolfram.

The president cited mineral deposits in several districts, including Rubanda, Kanungu, Isingiro, Ntungamo and Kisoro, and pointed to investors in steel and mineral refining as examples of projects he wants protected. He also argued that local processing could reduce import dependence and improve earnings, though the economic figures in the letter were his estimates and would need independent verification.

Museveni said the government’s policy is to promote domestic processing rather than raw mineral exports, and he questioned why some miners had been licensed without the capacity to refine minerals. He also raised the possibility of compensation for customary landholders if land must be cleared for mining or industrial use. Nile Post says the letter was copied to senior government officials and several company executives.