President Yoweri Museveni has called on investors to undertake uranium mining in the country, as an alternative energy source.
Meeting a delegation from IBI Corporation from Canada at State House, Nakasero on Saturday, Museveni said the potential for hydro-electric power production from rivers in Africa is only about 300,000 megawatts.
This, the President said, falls short of the real amount of energy needed on the continent.
He said the NRM Government was committed to co-investing with the private sector to optimally utilise the available uranium resources.
Specialists in mining, the IBI delegation was led by the company president and chief executive officer, Gary Fitchett.
Museveni stressed that Government would not tolerate the idea of exporting the mineral, but would work to have it utilised fully to serve wananchi with the energy generated from the mineral.
Fitchett concurred with Museveni over the issue of tapping the uranium resource available in eastern Uganda.
He also briefed the President about the progress of prospecting for gold under the ongoing venture in Busitema.
Many African nations, including Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, Namibia and Nigeria are seriously considering nuclear power.
“Nuclear renaissance” has become a catchphrase worldwide, but there' is hardly a consensus regarding nuclear power benefits.
The search for cleaner energy sources such as nuclear is also motivated by widespread concern that Africa is more vulnerable than other regions to climate change.
Present at the meeting were investment state minister, Prof. Semakula Kiwanuka, the executive director of Uganda Investment Authority, Dr. Maggie Kigozi and the principal private secretary to the President, Amelia Kyambadde.
In a related development, President Museveni on Thursday extended an invitation to more investors to tap into Uganda’s abundant resources in the agro-processing sector.
While meeting a South Korean delegation from Canaan Farmers’ School led by Dr. Kim Bumil, the head of the School, at State House, Nakasero, Museveni said Uganda was interested in the training of its human resource in leadership skills.
In the meeting, it was agreed to send 20 Ugandan officials effective September for training in South Korea.
Meanwhile, President Museveni on Friday received special messages from presidents Omar el Bashir of Sudan, and Mahmood Ahmednejad of Iran.
The messages were separately delivered to the President at State House, Nakasero by Bashir’s special envoy and adviser, Dr. Bona Malwal and Ahmednejad’s special envoy Jalil Besharati.
