Following Museveni’s direction, artisanal gold miners have left the Kisiita mine site.
Earlier this year, the president ordered that all illegal miners be evicted from Kisiita mines, but that they be given a six-month grace period to allow them to leave the gold mine with ease.
According to police, over 30,000 artisanal miners have peacefully vacated the Kisiita gold mining site in Kassanda District in response to President Museveni’s direction, allowing the investor, Kisiita Mining Company Ltd, to take over the mine.
Earlier this year, the president ordered that all illegal miners be evicted from Kisiita mines, but that they be given a six-month grace period to allow them to leave the gold mine with ease.
According to police spokesperson Fred Enanga, the final date for eviction of illegal and artisanal miners was set for November 3, 2021, after the president’s direction, and a number of artisanal miners have since evacuated the gold mine.
Several stakeholder meetings with the Directorate of Geological Surveys and Mines (DGSM), Uganda Revenue Authority, NEMA, Operation Wealth Creation, and the Police have been held, according to Enanga, with demonstrable outcomes.
“Since then, the Police Mineral Protection Unit has formed a detachment at Kisiita Mines, and is monitoring compliance to see if the six-month grace period, which expires on November 3, is being observed.” “We are continually keeping illegal miners off the site, ensuring that there is no violence on the site, and overseeing the disposal of illegal miners’ gold processing tanks,” Enanga stated.
“With only eight days left, we want to express our gratitude to all parties, particularly the Kitumbi Artisanal Miners Association, for successfully restraining their pit miners and ensuring that they left the mining site in peace.” A clearance certificate will be given to all miners who leave the region.”
With only a few days till the November 3 deadline, the police spokesperson stated that practically all artisanal miners have abandoned the gold mine at Kisiita and are merely waiting to hand over to the investor.
On November 3, we anticipate to fully hand over the mining site to Kisiita Mining Company Ltd, which has been given a 21-year mining lease to conduct gold prospecting, exploration, and mining across an area of 873 hectares in compliance with the Mining Act,”Enanga stated.
Background
The artisanal miners were among the nearly 60,000 people who were forcibly evicted from gold mining locations in Kassanda district’s Bukuya and Kitumbi sub-counties after police and the UPDF descended on the sites and destroyed their makeshift structures.
Hoes, spades, and shovels are among the basic tools used by artisanal miners.
Because artisanal miners were accused of not paying taxes, the government began licensing corporations and individuals to conduct legal gold mining in the district.
President Museveni decided earlier this year that the gold mine at Kisiita be handed over to Kisiita Mining Firm Ltd, a licensed company that would begin mining gold in the area.
The artisanal miners first opposed the plan, but they have since agreed to depart, according to the latest developments.
