Steel & Tube Industries has called for greater focus on processing Uganda’s iron ore locally, saying beneficiation could strengthen domestic steel production and position the country to supply infrastructure projects across East Africa and the wider African market.
Oscar Kamukama, Marketing Manager at Steel & Tube Industries, said Uganda’s mineral resources present an opportunity to build a local industrial value chain beginning with the extraction and processing of iron ore and ending with finished steel products for domestic and export markets.
Kamukama was speaking during the 15th Annual Mineral Wealth Conference and Expo held at Speke Resort Munyonyo from September 29 to 30, 2026, under the theme “Beneath the Surface: Unlocking Africa’s Next Mining Powerhouse.”
He said Uganda has significant mineral resources, including substantial iron ore deposits, and should now place greater emphasis on moving from mineral extraction to value addition.
“Mineral beneficiation is essential,” Kamukama said, explaining that the process involves improving the economic value and quality of mined iron ore by removing impurities to produce concentrated iron.
According to Ugandan government sources, the country has more than 350 million tonnes of confirmed iron ore reserves, while other government investment materials cite about 300 million tonnes of iron ore deposits in southwestern Uganda. (Uganda Budget Information)
For Steel & Tube, the development of a domestic iron and steel value chain would create an opportunity to manufacture more of the inputs required by Uganda’s construction and infrastructure sectors locally.
Kamukama said concentrated iron could be used to produce steel billets in Uganda, which would then serve as an input for manufacturing products such as thermo-mechanically treated reinforcement bars, hollow sections, angle bars and round bars.
“Let us build a unified Ugandan industrialisation story, one that begins with Ugandan iron ore, moves into Ugandan processing, produces Ugandan iron and Ugandan steel, transforms into value-added Ugandan fabricated products, and directly powers national infrastructure projects,” he said.
Steel & Tube already operates manufacturing facilities in Uganda, including its main plant in Namanve Industrial Park and a Structural Steel Division in Kyambogo, according to the company’s corporate information. The company traces its origins to 1985, when Hardware Deals (U) Ltd was established as a steel and hardware trading business before later merging with Steel & Tube Industries Ltd.
Kamukama said local production should also be linked to export opportunities once domestic demand is adequately served. He pointed to the East African Community as an immediate regional market for Ugandan steel products, followed by opportunities under the African Continental Free Trade Area.
The AfCFTA brings together 55 African Union member states in a single market of about 1.4 billion people, with coa mbined GDP of approximately US$3.4 trillion. For Steel & Tube, access to these markets would provide an opportunity for Ugandan manufacturers to expand beyond domestic demand and participate more actively in regional and continental supply chains.
Kamukama said the company’s presence at the Mineral Wealth Conference reflected the importance of bringing manufacturers into conversations about Uganda’s mineral resources and industrial development. He argued that discussions around Uganda’s mineral wealth now need to translate into investment and production, with industry, financiers, policymakers and other stakeholders working together to develop viable mineral value chains.
“The time for summits, forums and workshops must now translate into action to get these minerals out of the ground,” he said.
The call comes as Uganda seeks to increase value addition across its mineral sector and use domestic resources to support industrialisation. The 15th Annual Mineral Wealth Conference brought together government officials, investors, financiers, mining companies, technology providers and other industry stakeholders to discuss investment and development opportunities in Uganda’s minerals sector. (Mineral Wealth Conference)
For Steel & Tube, the development of a local iron and steel value chain would connect Uganda’s mineral resources with manufacturing, infrastructure development and regional trade, creating a pathway from locally sourced raw materials to finished products for markets within and beyond Uganda.
