The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development is a government ministry

Ministry (government department)

A ministry is a specialised organisation responsible for a sector of government public administration, sometimes led by a minister or a senior public servant, that can have responsibility for one or more departments, agencies, bureaus, commissions or other smaller executive, advisory, managerial or...

 of Uganda

Uganda

Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...

, with offices in Kampala

Kampala

Kampala is the largest city and capital of Uganda. The city is divided into five boroughs that oversee local planning: Kampala Central Division, Kawempe Division, Makindye Division, Nakawa Division and Lubaga Division. The city is coterminous with Kampala District.-History: of Buganda, had chosen...

. The mandate of the Ministry, according to its website, is "To establish, promote the development, strategically manage and safeguard the rational and sustainable exploitation and utilization of energy and mineral resources for social and economic development".

Scope of Activities

The Ministry is concerned with matters such as energy policy

Energy policy

Energy policy is the manner in which a given entity has decided to address issues of energy development including energy production, distribution and consumption...

, investments in mining

Mining

Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...

, the establishment of new power generating infrastructure using hydro power, thermal power, solar power

Solar power

Solar energy, radiant light and heat from the sun, has been harnessed by humans since ancient times using a range of ever-evolving technologies. Solar radiation, along with secondary solar-powered resources such as wind and wave power, hydroelectricity and biomass, account for most of the available...

 and nuclear power

Nuclear power

Nuclear power is the use of sustained nuclear fission to generate heat and electricity. Nuclear power plants provide about 6% of the world's energy and 13–14% of the world's electricity, with the U.S., France, and Japan together accounting for about 50% of nuclear generated electricity...

. Currently the two largest power development projects are in the country are the 250MW Bujagali Power Station

Bujagali Power Station

-Location:The power station is located across the Victoria Nile, about north of Jinja immediately north of the former location of Bujagali Falls. This location lies at the border between Buikwe District to the west and Jinja District to the east...

, coming online in 2011 and the 750MW Karuma Power Station

Karuma Power Station

-Location:The Power Station will be located at Karuma, on the Victoria Nile, at the present location of the Karuma Falls. This location is adjacent to the location where the Masindi-Gulu Highway, crosses the river Nile. It is approximately , by road, northeast of Masindi and approximately , by...

, coming online in 2016. The viability of a nuclear powered electricity-producing plant is being seriously considered. The current Minister of Energy and Mineral Development is the Hon. Hilary Onek

Hilary Onek

Hilary Obaloker Onek , is a Ugandan engineer and politician. His first name is spelled with a single "l". He is the cureent Minister of Internal Affairs in the Ugandan Cabinet. He was appointed to that position on 27 May 2011. He replaced Kirunda Kivejinja, who was dropped from the Cabinet...

.

Organization and operations

The ministry is organized into five main departments:

• Department of Energy Resources
• Department of Geological Survey and Mines
• Department of Petroleum Exploration and Production
• Department of Petroleum Supplies
• Department of Support Services
  • Administration
  • Accounting
  • Human Resources

External links

• Ministry of Energy Homepage
• Bujagali Hydropower Project Homepage

See also

• Energy in Uganda
  Energy in Uganda
  Burning of renewable resources provides much of the energy in Uganda, though the government is attempting to become energy self-sufficient. While much of the hydroelectric potential of the country is untapped, the government decision to expedite creation of domestic petroleum capacity coupled with...
  
  
• Government of Uganda
• Electricity Regulatory Authority (Uganda)
  Electricity Regulatory Authority (Uganda)
  The Electricity Regulatory Authority was created by the Electricity Act of 1999 as an agency of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development...
  
  
• Cabinet of Uganda
  Cabinet of Uganda
  According to the Constitution of Uganda, "there shall be a Cabinet which shall consist of the President, the Vice President and such number of Ministers as may appear to the President to be reasonably necessary for the efficient running of the State."...