Mr. Vincent Kato stands quietly beside a model of a drilling rig, studying it with near-religious attention. Every so often, he leans in to ask about drilling bits, penetration rates, and the mechanics that turn steam into electricity.
It is a cold Wednesday morning in Nairobi during the GDC Geothermal Conference 2026. Dressed in a sky-blue shirt and navy blazer, Kato hardly looks like a man carrying a national mandate. Yet on his shoulders rests Uganda’s ambition to deliver its first 50 MW of geothermal power.
“The country is excited about geothermal energy,” he says. “In our National Generation Expansion Strategy, we’re targeting 50 MW by 2030. It’s not going to be easy, but we’re determined.”
The country has already drilled temperature gradient wells – eight in Kibiro and twelve in Panyimur. The results, Kato says, have been encouraging, with promising underground temperatures recorded at both sites.
The next phase is full-scale exploration drilling.
Government backing has also strengthened. Uganda has committed funding under the Uganda Geothermal Resources Development Project Phase II, a five-year programme designed to prove the resource before inviting Independent Power Producers (IPPs) to develop generation plants.
Crucially, Uganda is leaning heavily on regional partnerships.
“We’re happy to have a MoU with Kenya’s Geothermal Development Company (GDC),” Kato says. “It will help us fast-track the next phase, especially drilling.”
Uganda has also anchored geothermal development within its legal framework. The Mines and Minerals Act 2022 formally recognizes geothermal resources, including direct-use applications -an area now attracting growing interest.
Tourism is among the sectors already being considered.
“We were truly inspired by Kenya’s geothermal spa in Olkaria,” Kato says. “We’re bringing in consultants and we plan to establish three geothermal spas in Uganda.”
But geothermal ambitions extend beyond tourism. Uganda is exploring the use of geothermal heat in fish drying, greenhouse farming, and even supporting the transportation of the country’s waxy crude oil by helping maintain pipeline temperatures.
The broader goal is to embed geothermal energy into multiple sectors of the economy.
Capacity building has become central to that mission. “Recently, GDC came to Uganda to train our people on direct uses of geothermal energy,” Kato says. “The programme, supported by IRENA, was a success and a real eye-opener.”
Uganda is also working with the French Development Agency (AFD) to strengthen technical expertise in the sector.
Public enthusiasm, however, has at times outpaced implementation.
Public enthusiasm, however, has at times outpaced implementation. “Some communities became so eager they accused us of delaying the projects,” Kato recalls with a smile. “But it shows people have embraced geothermal. They want to see work begin immediately.”
A team from the Geothermal Development Company (GDC) Resource Utilization (RU) and Geothermal Resource Management (GRM) departments is currently in Uganda, contributing to a capacity-building workshop on Geothermal Direct Use Applications.
Uganda is now building the human resource base required to sustain the industry. Some expertise has been drawn from the country’s established oil sector, while partnerships with Kenya’s GDC are helping train a new generation of geothermal specialists.
Today, Uganda has identified more than 30 geothermal prospects. For now, focus has narrowed to four high-potential sites – Kibiro, Panyimur, Buranga, and Katwe.
“I’m happy with what we’ve achieved so far,” Kato says. “The trajectory is right.”
At the conference, Kato is accompanied by Mr. Brian Aijuka, an emerging geothermal expert who spends much of the sessions taking relentless notes.
“I know the task ahead is monumental,” Aijuka says. “But I’m privileged to be part of what will onboard Uganda into the geothermal club.”
Like Kato, he looks to Kenya for inspiration. “Kenya is our role model,” he says. “The GDC conference exposed me to new people and new ideas. It was worth every minute.”
The following day, delegates traveled to the Menengai Geothermal Project in Nakuru County, where Kato witnesses the newest geothermal power plant operated by Orpower 22 generating 35 MW into Kenya’s national grid.
We need a state-run company like GDC in Uganda,” Kato says. “Government policy is critical if we’re to attract talent and investment.”
To him, Kenya’s progress offers both proof and inspiration.
“I saw Menengai when work was just beginning,” he recollects. “Now megawatts are hitting the grid. My dream is to see Uganda with many geothermal power plants too.”
Back at the Nairobi conference, long after most delegates have entered the hall, Kato remains beside the drilling rig model still studying, still asking questions.
Mr. Kato himself embodies the intersection of science, leadership, and persistence. Trained in geology and chemistry at Makerere University, he began his career at the Geological Survey Department, rising to become Principal Geologist in charge of exploration. His transition into geothermal would mark a defining chapter – not just personally, but nationally.
He has trained in Iceland, New Zealand, and Japan – absorbing global best practices and adapting them to Uganda’s context.
Under the Uganda Geothermal Development Project (2011–2019), Mr. Kato spearheaded the country’s geothermal acceleration: building the department from scratch, organizing technical trainings, leading field excursions to Kenya, overseeing temperature gradient drilling, and developing Uganda’s first conceptual geothermal models.
Download your copy of the Steam Magazine Issue 18 here: https://www.gdc.co.ke/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Steam-Magazine-Issue-18.pdf
