The
Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development has granted a large-scale mining license
to Sunbird Resources Limited to mine lime in Mororo District.
Sunbird Resources Ltd has partnered
with West International Holdings Ltd, a subsidiary of Hong Kong-listed West
China Cement Ltd. Together, they're establishing a 6000 Tonnes Per Day Clinker
Lime and one million tonnes Per Year. The company plans to construct a Cement Factory in Nadunget Sub-County as part of the value addition requirement. It is anticipated that the factory together with the mining of the minerals will create 600 direct and 3000
indirect jobs.
The cement factory
aspires to be the largest in Uganda, striving for import substitution by
reducing reliance on the import of 2.4 million tonnes of clinker annually,
valued at over $700 million.
According to the World Bank Uganda imports Cement clinkers whether or not colored from countries like United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Kenya among others.
The license according to the Minister of Energy and Minerals, Ruth Nakbirwa requires Sunbird to mine 8000 tonnes of limestone per day from Rupa
Sub-county in Moroto District.
Nankabirwa while handing over the license at the Ministry’s headquarters on Thursday said she was happy that the panned development will contribute to import substitution but also create value within Karamoja.
//Cue in; “The Ministry of Energy…
Cue out… manufacturing of cement.”//
Sunbird
Resources’s Director, Ambrose Byoona said the license that took effect on January
21, 2024, follows a consolidated and systematic exploration work that commenced
in 2015, resulting in the discovery of over 67 million tonnes of Clinker-able limestone.
Byoona
explained that Ugandan cement manufacturers have been paying about six hundred thousand shillings to import a tonne of clinker from Kenya, India, Egypt,
Brazil, Russia, and Iran among others
//Cue in; “We started our journey…
Cue out… a plus to our economy.”//
It is
the second-largest mining license issued by the Ministry after it awarded Rwenzori Rare Metals
Limited, an Australian company a 21-year license in January to explore 44
square kilometres of rare earth minerals in the Busoga sub-region.
Sunbird
Resources has partnered with West International Holdings Limited, a subsidiary
of West China Cement Limited, a Hong Kong-listed company, an international
enterprise integrating cement production, marketing, corporate management, and
industrial investment, to set up 6,000 tonnes of Clinker Line, and one million
tonnes per year cement factory at Nadunget Sub-County.
The
USD 300 million or bout 1.164 trillion Shillings' overall investment will
culminate in royalty payments to the consolidated fund of over 160 million
Shillings per day of operation. The factory, on completion which is expected in
July 2025 is projected to be the largest cement plant in Uganda.
Ochola's journalism career begun from Radio King 90.2 FM in Gulu around 2009, and Radio Rupiny 95.7 Fm under Vision Group in 2012. He also reported for Mighty Fire 91.5 Fm, Kitgum in 2015 before joining Wizarts Foundation in 2017.
He has been reporting for Uganda Radio Network (URN) since 2017 before being posted as Bureau Chief Kitgum, and later Gulu between 2018 - 2021. Currently, he reports from Parliament.
