Members of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Energy and Minerals have expressed satisfaction with the advanced technology being used at the Katente Model Gold Processing Centre, saying the facility has significantly improved gold recovery for small-scale miners.
The committee made the remarks on March 15, 2026 during a working visit to inspect the progress of the Katente centre in Bukombe District, Geita Region.
The facility was established by the government through the State Mining Corporation (STAMICO) to help small-scale miners adopt modern and safer gold processing methods.
Speaking during the visit, the committee chairperson, Subira Mgalu, said members of the committee were impressed by the technology being used at the centre, noting that it has greatly improved efficiency in gold extraction.
She said the Vat Leaching technology used at the facility has increased gold recovery rates from about 40 percent to more than 90 percent, marking a major improvement compared to traditional processing methods commonly used by small-scale miners.
“The committee is pleased to see that the technology applied here is modern and efficient. It enables miners to recover more gold while also protecting the environment by reducing the use of harmful chemicals such as mercury,” she said.
Mgalu also commended STAMICO for making mining chemicals, explosives and other essential services more accessible to small-scale miners. She noted that about 1,019 miners are currently benefiting from services offered at the Katente model centre.
She further praised the government for bringing such services closer to miners, saying the initiative is helping improve productivity and income among small-scale mining communities.
Deputy Minister for Minerals Steven Kiruswa thanked the parliamentary committee for its guidance and recommendations aimed at improving the facility so it can serve a larger number of miners.
He said the government remains committed to strengthening model processing centres across the country to ensure small-scale miners benefit from modern technology and improved mining practices.
Earlier, presenting a report on the centre’s operations, the Acting Managing Director of State Mining Corporation, Deusdedith Magala, said that between 2020 and January 2026 a total of 1,920 small-scale miners had received training at the facility.
The training covered areas such as mining methods, ore crushing, gold processing and gold recovery techniques aimed at improving efficiency and promoting environmentally friendly mining.
The Katente Model Gold Processing Centre is among the government’s initiatives to modernise small-scale mining and reduce the use of hazardous chemicals, while helping miners increase productivity and earnings.
