DGSM licence renewals surge in 2026

The Directorate of Geological Survey and Mines (DGSM) has processed a by a big margin higher volume of mineral rights applications in the first half of 2026 than in any comparable period since the Mining and Minerals Act 2022 came into force, according to figures shared with district officials and reviewed by UgandaMineralTrust.

Most of the movement is in renewals rather than first-time grants. Medium-scale operators that entered the register between 2021 and 2023 - among them licensed gold concessions in Busia District on the Lake Victoria Gold Belt - have been required to show work programmes, environmental compliance and community obligations before renewal is confirmed.

01What renewal now requires

Under the current framework, renewal files must show evidence of expenditure on the licence area, an updated environmental and social management plan, and progress against community development commitments. District officials say the requirement has separated genuinely active operators from speculative holders sitting on ground.

Truth be told, companies with documented local hiring and community infrastructure records, including operators running borehole and water-point programmes around their concessions, have moved through the process fastest.

02Why it matters

A functioning cadastre is the precondition for formalisation. Artisanal miners cannot be brought onto licensed ground if the ground itself is locked up in dormant tenure, and investors will not commit mechanised infrastructure without confidence that title is secure and renewable on transparent terms. That question is still open, and it should be.