Summary:

• President Museveni has approved UK investors from Strand Hanson Ltd to mine lithium in Ntungamo district, emphasizing the goal of localizing electric car battery production and securing a ready market, while encouraging collaboration with Kiira Motors.

President Yoweri Museveni has granted approval to UK investors to undertake lithium mining in Ntungamo district. The green light was given during a meeting at State House Entebbe with representatives from Strand Hanson Ltd, a London-based investment bank.

Lithium, a crucial component in rechargeable lithium-ion batteries widely utilized in electronic devices like smartphones, laptops, and electric vehicles, is the focus of the mining initiative.

Expressing his endorsement on X, formerly Twitter, the President stated, “I received their proposal to mine lithium in Ntungamo district, facilitating local production of electric car batteries.” Museveni emphasized the current dependence on imported batteries for Ugandan electric vehicles, incurring unnecessary expenses, and assured the investors of a robust market.

The President pledged to expedite the issuance of a mining license through the energy ministry and stressed the importance of integrating mining with processing. Museveni welcomed the prospect of collaboration with Kiira Motors, the local electric vehicle manufacturer, for battery procurement.

In a statement from the President’s press team, Museveni encouraged the investors, saying, “I welcome you and support you, please go ahead and make the batteries. We can link you up with Kiira Motors which is making our electric vehicles to buy the batteries from you.” He affirmed that the mining license process would be swift to kickstart the lithium mining venture.

Strand Hanson Ltd, in collaboration with a local mining and laboratories company, aims to mine lithium and manufacture electric batteries. Johnny Kirkl, a representative of the investment bank, informed the President that the mining site in Ntungamo had been identified, with only the mining license pending for project commencement.

Kirkl also expressed interest in establishing a battery manufacturing facility within the country, proposing the export of locally produced batteries. The President echoed his commitment to linking mining with processing and previously urged South African businesspeople to invest in Uganda’s E-mobility sector, specifically in lithium battery manufacturing. He emphasized the goal of producing batteries locally for domestic use and export.