The facility, which will be located in Kikagate Sub-county, will provide skills training aimed at eliminating unsafe mining practices and building a more professional workforce in Uganda’s mining sector.
Woodcross Resources, Uganda’s tin smelter, will coordinate the programme, which targets artisanal miners involved in mineral extraction and processing.
Artisanal and small-scale mining is a major source of employment in Uganda, supporting more than 600,000 direct jobs.
However, the sector remains largely informal, with many miners relying on manual methods that pose safety and environmental risks.
About 85% of artisanal miners are estimated to operate without licences.
In Kikagate, where tin mining is common, miners continue to rely on traditional methods.
“Tin mining here is really informal because we use informal methods of mining, whereby one wakes up and gets an axe and goes to the hill and starts mining,” said Alexander Turinawe, secretary of the Artisanal Miners Association in Isingiro District.
The new training facility is expected to equip miners with modern techniques, improve compliance with safety standards and promote responsible environmental management.
Kwesi Kutesa, the Director of Corporate Affairs at Woodcross Resources, said many miners lack the equipment and knowledge required to operate safely and sustainably.
“We see very many gaps in the mining sector. Most of the people involved, including artisanal miners, need equipment and need to be oriented around the requirements of environmental health and safety to make sure that they are compliant and able to participate in this industry fully,” Kutesa said.
He added that the programme will train and assess miners from different mining sites on safe practices and environmental protection.
The first training cohort will consist of 100 participants, with each miner expected to undertake at least one module relevant to their workplace.
“The training facility looks at skilling artisanal miners in different modules across the value chain, from extracting minerals to processing, and giving them a better understanding of geology while ensuring that they keep the environment safe,” Kutesa said.
The facility will be open to artisanal miners regardless of their academic background.
Sector players are currently working with the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) authorities to develop a curriculum to guide the programme.
“Once the curriculum is approved by the TVET Council and the Ministry of Education, we will be sure that the issues in the entire mining sector will be addressed, on top of professionalising mining activities,” Kutesa said.
Artisanal miners in Isingiro have welcomed the initiative, saying it will help them move away from rudimentary methods.
“We hope they will teach us technical things like drilling and blasting, safety, how to use personal protective equipment, safe extraction of minerals and many other things. We cannot wait for this facility to start,” Turinawe said.
According to data from the Uganda Bureau of Statistics, the mining and quarrying sector contributes about 2.2% to Uganda’s Gross Domestic Product, with gold currently the country’s leading mineral export.