The money will be used to rehabilitate major roads leading to the mines and the offices, renovate an office block, work on a transmission line to Kilembe Secondary School and procurement of pumps for underground water.
Kilembe Mines Limited-KML has received Three billion Shillings from the government for the rehabilitation of major infrastructure.
The money will be used to rehabilitate major roads leading to the mines and the offices,
renovate an office block, work on a transmission line to Kilembe Secondary
School and procurement of pumps for underground water.
Edson Kambere the caretaker Chief Executive
Officer of Kilembe Mines Limited told URN that the money is meant to bring KML
back to normalcy and if an investor is procured, he can find the company in a functioning state.
He says in
the current position, the management is tasked with the care and maintenance of the
existing infrastructure.
//Cue in: “To
renovate office…
Cue out: …the
underground water.”//
Kambere
who is also the company’s chief mechanical engineer says they are conducting some minimal businesses
including the generation of power for sale, and an open mechanical workshop, among
others to keep the company running.
Kilembe Mines located on the feet of
Rwenzori mountains was a major source of revenue for Uganda in the 1960s
through 1970s.
However, the mines suffered a setback in 1977 when Idi Amin
Dada, then president of Uganda, ordered Canadian investors to leave the mines
in the hands of Ugandans.
Amin's nationalisation policy was also followed by
a steep fall in the global prices of copper ore and high inflation hence
leading to the closure of the mines in 1978.
In 2020, floods destroyed key KML structures including the
tailings, Mubuku I hydropower plant, the administration block and workshops.
