Uganda won’t export uranium
Feb 02, 2009
UGANDA will not export its uranium until it develops its capacity to produce nuclear energy, President Yoweri Museveni has disclosed.
By Vision Reporter
UGANDA will not export its uranium until it develops its capacity to produce nuclear energy, President Yoweri Museveni has disclosed.
Addressing the 12th ordinary summit of the African Union in Addis Ababa yesterday, Museveni said even if the whole of Africa’s hydro potential was developed, this would create only 300,000 megawatts. He said the US with a population of 300 million people is using one million megawatts.
The African leaders, development partners and financial institutions were discussing infrastructure development in Africa, the theme of the summit.
Museveni said: “Unless science has proved that Africans do not need electricity, which I guess they do, our hydro potential is not enough for Africa’s needs.â€
He, therefore, called for investment in nuclear energy, according to a statement issued by the Presidential Press Secretary, Tamale Mirundi. “In Uganda, we discovered oil recently and uranium. I have allowed foreign companies to exploit the uranium but not to export it to Europe. I am not stupid to allow other people to take away my energy when my people need it.†“Nobody,†he added, “will export uranium as long as I am still in charge of Uganda’s affairs.â€
He said if countries with high hydro potential such as Ethiopia, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Guinea are helped to maximise this potential, other countries will buy from them.
Instead of having ambitious plans that cannot be implemented with the available resources, the African countries can start with what they can manage. “In my language, a hen pecks what it can chew, let us chew what is chewable.â€
Addressing the summit, UN chief Ban Ki-Moon pledged to help the continent resolve its challenges.
He said infrastructure was key to creating jobs.
UGANDA will not export its uranium until it develops its capacity to produce nuclear energy, President Yoweri Museveni has disclosed.
Addressing the 12th ordinary summit of the African Union in Addis Ababa yesterday, Museveni said even if the whole of Africa’s hydro potential was developed, this would create only 300,000 megawatts. He said the US with a population of 300 million people is using one million megawatts.
The African leaders, development partners and financial institutions were discussing infrastructure development in Africa, the theme of the summit.
Museveni said: “Unless science has proved that Africans do not need electricity, which I guess they do, our hydro potential is not enough for Africa’s needs.â€
He, therefore, called for investment in nuclear energy, according to a statement issued by the Presidential Press Secretary, Tamale Mirundi. “In Uganda, we discovered oil recently and uranium. I have allowed foreign companies to exploit the uranium but not to export it to Europe. I am not stupid to allow other people to take away my energy when my people need it.†“Nobody,†he added, “will export uranium as long as I am still in charge of Uganda’s affairs.â€
He said if countries with high hydro potential such as Ethiopia, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Guinea are helped to maximise this potential, other countries will buy from them.
Instead of having ambitious plans that cannot be implemented with the available resources, the African countries can start with what they can manage. “In my language, a hen pecks what it can chew, let us chew what is chewable.â€
Addressing the summit, UN chief Ban Ki-Moon pledged to help the continent resolve its challenges.
He said infrastructure was key to creating jobs.