Busoga Leaders engage Rwenzori Rare Metals for master plan ahead of mineral exploitation

IGANGA, UGANDA: A section of leaders and stakeholders in the four districts of Busoga Region where some minerals were discovered have called upon Rwenzori Rare Metals (RRM) to apply a clear master plan to have locals in région comfortable to work with them in their task.

Rwenzori Rare Metals (RRM) is a private Ugandan mining company that is conducting exploration work of Rare Earth Elements (REE) in some eastern districts in Uganda. It has since 2016 been in the establishment of the Makuutu Rare Earths Project in Makuutu Sub-county, Bugweri District, which stretches about across the districts of Bugweri, Mayuge, Bugiri, and Iganga.

The Makuutu Rare Earth Project is one of the few clay deposits that contain high concentrations of heavy and critical metals necessary for modern technology.

While meeting with other leaders and RRM officials in Iganga at Mum resort hotel on Wednesday, the third deputy prime minister of Uganda Rt Hon Rukia Isanga Nakadama said that the project is big and needs to be informed about what do and also benefit from the project.

“We expect people to change lives from the current condition to another better condition because this project is very big and we don’t want it to leave anyone behind. If handled well, this project can change sub-region,” Minister Nakadama said.

The meeting attracted leaders and stakeholders in the four affected districts included LC5 chairpersons, LC3 chairpersons, the district police commanders, the DISOs, officials from Rwenzori Rare Metals company, the RDCs, and their deputies, among others.

“We want our people to be guided with a master plan by the mining company such that they are taught and know what to do not just telling them to sign on papers without knowing what next. They should know where they are to be relocated to permanently or not permanently,” Nakadama added.

She however urged the project managers to emphasize development in the areas of mineral deposits by setting up better towns in deposits areas to see that better services are attained in such areas, like good schools, good roads, good health centres, water availability, good businesses, among others.

The chairperson tourism board in Uganda who is also the former energy minister Hon Daudi Migereko was the main information resource in the meeting which was spearheaded by Hon Minister Nakadama.

Migereko said that there should be a plan to improve people’s lives through the project in their area.
“There will be a plan to show how people’s lives will be changed after this project. The way people puts up, what they have, power, roads, and others. It’s good that the project officials have agreed to work on these items which we think are very key,” says Hon Migereko.

Meanwhile, the geologist consultant in RRM, Baguma Zuckerry assured the leaders that every household will be planned before relocation and they will work on roads and other services in the affected communities before they restore their homes.

“We are going to use lorries which carry mega tonnes and we will first rehabilitate all roads to suit the standards and enable smooth transportation of the minerals,” Baguma said before beseeching leaders to convince their people and accept the relocation and later return to their areas after exploitation instead of advocating for a ‘pay me and go elsewhere’ method of compensation.