Artisanal gold miners vacate Kisiita mine site after Museveni directive

Police have said that the group of over 30,000 artisanal miners has responded to President Museveni’s directive and are peacefully vacating  Kisiita gold mining site in Kassanda District to allow the investor, Kisiita Mining Company Ltd take over the mine.

The president earlier  this year directed that all illegal miners be evicted from Kisiita mines but asked that these be given a six months grace period to enable them easing vacate the gold mine.

However, according to police spokesperson, Fred Enanga, following the president’s directive, the final date for eviction of illegal and artisanal miners was set as Novermber, 3, 2021  and that a number of  artisanal miners have since vacated the gold mine.

Enanga noted that  several stakeholder meetings have been held with the Directorate if Geological Surveys and Mines (DGSM), Uganda Revenue Authority, NEMA, Operation Wealth Creation and the Police  and that tangible results have been achieved.

“The Police Mineral Protection Unit, has  since established a detach at Kisiita Mines, and are tracking compliance, to determine if the six  months grace period, which lapses on the November, 3  is being followed. We are consistently keeping illegal miners off the site, ensuring no violence at the site and overseeing the removal of gold processing tanks belonging to the illegal miners,”Enanga said.

“With only eight days remaining, we want to greatly thank all stakeholders but in particular, Kitumbi Artisanal Miners Association, for prevailing over their pit miners and ensuring they left the mining site peacefully.  All miners vacating the area are being issued with clearance certificate.”

The police spokesperson noted that with a few days to the November, 3 date, almost all artisanal miners have vacated the gold mine at Kisiita and only waiting to hand over to the investor.

On November, 3, we expect to fully handover the mining site to Kisiita Mining Company Ltd, which was granted a mining lease for 21 years, to carry out prospecting, exploration and mining of gold, over an area of 873 hectares, in accordance with the Mining Act,”Enanga said.

Background

The artisanal miners were parts of the over 60,000 who were initially evicted forcefully from mining sites in Bukuya and Kitumbi sub-counties in Kassanda district after police and the UPDF deployed in gold mining sites and destroyed their makeshift structures.

The artisanal miners have been using rudimentary tools including hoes, spades and shovels.

The artisanal miners were accused of failure to pay taxes and consequently government started licencing companies and individuals to legal carry out the mining of gold in the district.

Earlier this year, President Museveni directed that the gold mine at Kisiita be handed to Kisiita Mining Company Ltd, a licenced company to start mining gold in the area.

The move faced a lot of resistance from the artisanal miners but according to the latest development, they have since accepted to vacate.