Kayelekera uranium mine set for reopening as company officials jet in next week

Officials from Lotus Resources which is responsible for Kayelekera Uranium Mine in Karonga are jetting into the country next week to assess when to reopen the mine.

 Lotus Resources holds an 85 percent stake in the Kayelekera Uranium Mine in Karonga.

According to Theo Keyter, General Manager for Kayelekera Uranium Mine, the executive team will be in Karonga from 24 to 27 August 2024 as they intend to reopen the mine “as soon as humanily possible” and offer jobs to about 500 Malawians.

“Only certain skills of people will be expatriates but we will focus on employing local Malawians,” said Keyter.

Keyter’s remarks came during a visit to the mine by various stakeholders, including representatives from the National Planning Commission (NPC), the Presidential Delivery Unit, Mwapata Institute, UNDP, and the Ministry of Finance, who aimed to assess the mine’s status ahead of the planned resumption.

NPC Director General Thomas Munthali said that the commission and other stakeholders are ready to support the mine’s revival.

Published reports indicate Kayelekera needs about K154 billion investment to restart operations for the next 10 years.