state minister for minerals, Peter Lokeris

Illegal miners in Mubende are running away from the mining areas following  government’s exercise of registering   local miners in this place in the district.

Gold artisan and small scale gold miners in Mubende who are leaving under fear following alleged presidential directive to evict them from the area are also  now going through registration to separate between illegal foreign and local miners in the area.

Minister of State for Energy and Mineral Development, Peter lokeris, together with  the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development, Dr. Stephen Robert Ishabiija, confirmed the registration of miners in Mubende while appearing before the Parliamentary Committee on Natural Resources this week .

The Committee Chaired by Isingiro South MP,  Alex Byarugaba, pinned the Ministry of Energy officials on failure to certify most of Uganda minerals to generate more revenues through giving licenses.

The UPDF representative in parliament Brigadier Innocent Felix Oula said that few of Uganda minerals are certified resulting into Uganda missing out revenue to illegal miners.

Women miners

“We started the exercise of  registration of miners in Mubende and as this is going on,some illegal miners are running away from this place, saying that influx of people in this area had become a security concern,” Loreris said, adding  that; “After this exercise genuine miners will be issued with license to operate legally and this will be taken to all the places with minerals.”

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The chairperson of the Natural Resources Committee, Alex Byarugaba.

She told the committee chaired by Isingiro South MP,Alex Byarugaba, that sand mining is mostly done at the shallow end of the water bodies and that this practice is affecting the breeding area of fish.

Nyeko added that government should gazette all areas with legal fish ponds a no go zone for sand mining since people think that when water collects in the sand ponds, it  can in turn be used for fish farming .

She also confirmed to the committee members that Aqua World Company which belongs to Prophet, Samuel Kakande, of The Synagogue Church of all Nations in Mulago has never been issued with a permit for sand mining apart from fish farming.

One of the areas where sand is mined in Lwera in Mpigi districts. MPs say such activities are destroying the environment.

However, MPs on the committee who included, Alex Byarugaba, Kumi Municipality MP, Aogon Cyrus, grilled the officials from the ministry of agriculture who included; the acting commissioner in charge of fisheries and resource development, Dr.Edward Ruukunya and Joyce Nyeko over their failure to raise an alarm against illegal sand mining in Lwera when people who were destroying Lwera wetland are hiding behind sand mining.

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Prof Ephraim Kamuntu the former environment minister ordered the revoking of the license for Mango Tree Company a directive that UIA did not heed to.

The directive comes after the MPs discovered that in May last year, the then minister for environment, Prof.Ephraim Kamuntu, directed that the company only deals in digging  Lake Victoria shores for fish farming, building ports and ships.

However, MPs said they were shocked to discover that the company had instead diverted into sand mining that their license doesn’t permit.

The committee chaired by Isingiro County MP, Alex Byarugaba, told the UIA officials on Wednesday that they should have revoked the company’s license following the ministerial directive.

Uganda Investment Authority, director Basil Ajer.

The UIA Director, Basil Ajer, together with  officials from the authority were  being questioned  why Mango tree got an  investment for sand mining and why they are not following the 1991 Investment Code that has a schedule for activities for locals only.

The committee members also noted that the low funding to the UIA is affecting the monitoring process of investors who enter into the country and end up operating in businesses that would be done by locals.

Kiboga East MP, Keffa Kiwanuka, said that there have been complaints from local traders that UIA favors foreign investors hence they had to explain themselves on the mentioned queries above.

MPs said that the little funds given to UIA cannot help them monitor all the investors hence many are seen diverging from operating their intended investment.

Ajer also explained the hurdles they experience with the limited funding and as well distances UIA as being part of issuing trading licenses to the foreigners who are seen operating in petty businesses especially in Kikuubo.

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Harrison Mutekanga, the Chief Executive Officer of the Uganda Electricity Generation Company Limited (Right) together with the Energy Minister, Irene Muloni.

Harrison Mutekanga, the Chief Executive Officer of the Uganda Electricity Generation Company Limited (UEGCL)today (August 17)told the Committee Chaired by the Isingiro South MP, Alex Byarugaba, that the two power plants are cracking from  the power house structure.

He attributed the cracking on these power dams to reactive concrete.

Lawrence Songa,the MP for  Ora County in Zombo district also demanded to know the contractor who built a section on Karuma power dam which developed similar  cracks so as that such companies are black listed from undertaking future works.

The Chairperson of the Natural Resources Committee, Alex Byarugaba, said that the government should consider repairing this dam since it has become old.

The hydro power dam was constructed in 1954 and its life span was supposed to push on for more 30 years from now.

Mutekanga also said that the UEGCL plans to increase hydro power installation capacity by 50% from 380MW to 833MW by the year 2020.

He said that they will build local capacity for operation and maintenance of Karuma and Isimba hydro power plants to support government initiative of providing employment to youth to keep power tariff affordable and competitive.

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An Electric Engineer a top a pole while making repairs.Such installations are often vandalized by people especially in the Country side.in the Country.

While appearing before Parliament’s National Resource Committee, William Kiryahika, UETCL’s Chairperson said if amended, the Act will be strengthened so as better punish and deter people from vandalizing power equipment which he said is proving very expensive for their operations.

He revealed that the UETCL is currently in the process of acquiring the power machine protection devices to safe guard the power line system from acts of vandalism. The meeting was Chaired by Alex Byarugaba,who is the MP for Isingiro.

Kiryahika told the committee members that the power tariffs will still remain high unless government subsidizes  it to enable  local people get power at low cost.

He says that the main challenge which has put the power tariff high is the generation cost which will only be averted through completion of the current ongoing power dams like Isimba,Karuma Ayago in Nwoya district  among others.

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