What is Uganda’s outlook for gold production and exports, and how is the country strengthening value addition across the gold value chain?

Uganda's documented domestic gold production in 2023 was just 0.0042 tons but has increased with exports hitting $5.8 billion in the year to November 2025. The increase cemented gold as the country's leading export at 76.6% of total export receipts.

The most transformative development is the commissioning of Uganda’s first large-scale gold mine: the $250 million, Wagagai Gold Mining Project in Busia District in August 2025. The project processes 5,000 tons of ore per day and is projected to produce 1.5 metric tons of refined gold annually, at 99.9% purity. Beyond Wagagai, Uganda has nine gold refineries that meet international bullion standards. The Bank of Uganda has also launched a gold purchase program, designed to strengthen reserve quality and position the country as a regional processing hub.

What are the biggest challenges facing the gold industry facing and how is the Chamber addressing them?

Approximately 500,000 miners operate in the artisanal sector, with around 90,000 engaged directly in gold production and the majority trading on the informal market. The Chamber, GIZ Uganda and the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development are implementing the TENT Grant Initiative to support sector formalization. The UGX 800 million, twelve-month program runs through October 2026 and targets to formalize at least 20 cooperatives.

The second is the delay in the implementation of mining reforms. We are calling for the strengthening of data governance through a national energy-minerals knowledge hub. Access to infrastructure – including roads and mineral production and processing equipment - remains limited, inflating operational costs. We continue to push for mineral access roads connecting key production sites to logistics corridors.

Beyond gold, which mineral opportunities is Uganda prioritizing to attract new investment?

This is something we have been deliberate about communicating to the international investment community, and AMW is precisely the right stage for it. Uganda has vast critical minerals including graphite, rare earths, copper, lithium cobalt and lithium. We have copper and cobalt in the Albertine region and rare earths, phosphate and nobium in Tororo. The IEA forecasts that Uganda's new graphite and rare earth projects have the potential to contribute to our Vision 2040 ambition to grow GDP from $50 billion to $500 billion by 2040.

Upcoming projects set to transform the market include Blencowe Resources’ Orom Cross Graphite Mine. The $130 million project is expected to return $482 million over fifteen years. Others include the Makuutu Rare Earths Mine, which is expected to produce 40,090 tons over its 35-year mine life, and the Kilembe Copper Mines which is estimated to be holding four million metric tons of ore grading at 1.98% copper and 0.17% cobalt.

The Sukulu phosphate-REE-niobium complex and emerging copper-cobalt licenses in the North East are also of strategic importance regarding Uganda’s mining sector growth.

What measures have been put in place to secure energy supplies for operators?

The 2025 commissioning of the 600MW Karuma Hydropower Project and the Ituka Solar Power Station in West Nile improved Uganda’s energy security profile. The sector is increasingly looking at hybrid solar-diesel systems to reduce exposure to fuel price volatility. The upcoming Tilenga and Kingfisher Oil fields and the East African Crude Oil Pipeline will further enhance fuel supply. We continue to advocate for grid expansion, accelerated deployment of off-grid renewables and the maximization of Uganda's own hydrocarbon production.

Why is the partnership with AMW a strategic move for the Chamber, and what are your primary goals for the event?

AMW 2026 will allow Uganda to connect with global capital and translate our rich geological endowment into tangible investment. Our primary goal is to position the country as a secure, business-friendly destination for critical minerals, offering global offtakers a credible option to diversify their supply chains. Simultaneously, we aim to forge partnerships that accelerate artisanal sector formalization and showcase Uganda's investment-ready climate.