- analysisPolicy
Entebbe assay lab upgrade: what it changes
Government is upgrading the national mineral testing laboratory. For small operators the question is simple: will they get results in days, or still wait for months?
Martha Kemigisha · Directorate of Geological Survey and Mines · Wakiso
August 18, 2026 - analysisPolicy
Njeru Stock Farm dispute turns on gold exploration
Water and Environment Minister Kahinda Otafiire says the contested Njeru land was being explored for gold before the project was stopped, and accuses colleagues of frustrating it. The episode is a case study in how mineral rights and public land collide.
Ruth Namaganda · Government of Uganda · Buikwe
August 13, 2026 - analysisPolicy
Central bank gold buying moves beyond the pilot
Test buys from licensed and pre-qualified miners began in April 2026, with payment in shillings at international benchmarks. The programme is as much a formalisation tool as a reserves policy.
Charity Mugisha · Bank of Uganda · Kampala
August 11, 2026 - negativePolicy
Uganda's gold fraud machine, in three layers
Now, a Kampala court case over $1.5 million in gold that never shipped has reopened scrutiny of Uganda's unlicensed gold trade, where security companies pose as refineries and a the usual cast of fixers separates foreign investors from their money.
Sarah Nabbosa · Multiple unlicensed dealers and security firms · Kampala
August 6, 2026 - analysisPolicy
Amendment Bill 2026 reaches Parliament
Four years after the 2022 Act, the amendment expected before the end of the parliamentary session revisits production sharing, state equity and value addition obligations.
UMT Editorial Desk · Parliament of Uganda, MEMD · Kampala
August 2, 2026 - positivePolicy
DGSM licence renewals surge in 2026
The Directorate of Geological Survey and Mines has cleared a long-standing backlog of mineral rights applications, with renewals and new medium-scale licences rising sharply across Busia, Mubende and Karamoja.
Ruth Namaganda · Directorate of Geological Survey and Mines (DGSM) · Kampala
June 24, 2026 - analysisPolicy
Export restriction meets missing processing capacity
Government policy halting unprocessed exports has pushed refining investment in gold. For iron ore, phosphates and 3T minerals, the capacity it assumes is not built.
David Mubiru · MEMD, licensed processors · Kampala
May 22, 2026 - positivePolicy
DGSM online mining cadastre opens to the public
On the ground, the Directorate of Geological Survey and Mines has moved its licensing cadastre fully online, letting anyone with a browser check who holds what mineral rights, where, and for how long across Uganda.
Ruth Namaganda · Directorate of Geological Survey and Mines (DGSM) · National
May 22, 2026 - analysisPolicy
Uganda tightens gold export audit and transit reporting
The Uganda Revenue Authority and the Ministry of Energy have introduced a stricter export audit regime that requires refiners to distinguish domestically mined gold from imported and transit bullion, a long-standing weak point in the country's mineral statistics.
Sarah Nabbosa · Uganda Revenue Authority / Ministry of Energy · National
April 18, 2026 - analysisPolicy
UNMC begins taking up statutory state stake
The Uganda National Mining Company, established under the 2022 Act, has begun formally acquiring the state's 15% free-carried interest in new large-scale mining licences.
Martha Kemigisha · Uganda National Mining Company · National
July 10, 2024 - positivePolicy
Artisanal miner licensing pilot expands
So, the Directorate of Geological Survey and Mines has expanded its artisanal miner licensing pilot in Buhweju, issuing a second tranche of cooperative-based licences under the Mining and Minerals Act 2022.
Grace Nabirye · Government of Uganda · Buhweju
December 5, 2023 - analysisPolicy
One million mining jobs by 2025?
The government's Mineral Resources Infrastructure Development Project (MRIP) targets more than a million jobs across the extended mineral value chain by 2025. The programme is ambitious - and the delivery risk is real.
Martha Kemigisha · Government of Uganda · National
September 5, 2023 - positivePolicy
Mining and Minerals Act 2022 rollout begins
Truth be told, the new law creates a tiered licensing regime, formal recognition of artisanal miners, mandatory community development agreements and a stronger role for local government - the biggest overhaul of Uganda's mineral legislation in more than two decades.
UMT Editorial Desk · Government of Uganda · National
January 24, 2023