More than 5,000 artisanal miners in Nakapiripirit District have lost a source of income after authorities closed the congested “Somalia” gold mining site in Moruita Sub-County last month. The site was closed by sub-county authorities on guidance from the Karamoja Regional Mineral Office. Officials cited poor hygiene, child labour, unregistered mining groups, and security threats caused by the influx of people from within and outside Karamoja.
Simon Akol, an artisanal miner who has worked at the site for over 5 years, said mining was the only source of income for his family. “The closure has left me in limbo as I don’t have any other income-generating activity,” Akol said.But he admitted that the reasons for the closure are genuine.
“Our lives were indeed at risk with poor hygiene, and the gold pits were not properly managed. We even lost one miner who accidentally fell into a pit,” he said. Akol noted that the pits were dug too close to settlements and the business centre, with no demarcations. “People walking around just end up falling in,” he said.
He added that miners are willing to address the gaps, but authorities should consider reopening the site so they can earn money to meet demands such as constructing latrines. Sarah Adongo, Vice Chair of the Utut Artisanal Miners Association, acknowledged that the site had attracted large numbers of people who were mining individually, without formal groups or leadership.
“The Inspector of Minerals had warned us about operating illegally amid poor sanitation, but people took it for granted,” Adongo said. She said crowding led to poor hygiene, and efforts to organize the miners failed because some members were uninterested. On the issue of children at the site, Adongo blamed biting poverty and hunger.
“Children are sent to the mines by their own parents to look for money for food,” she said. “It became difficult for leaders to stop them.” She noted that the closure has left many struggling to get even one meal a day. “We have tried everything to keep children out of the mines, but it’s challenging because of the crisis at home,” she added.
Adongo said the miners are willing to meet all government directives: “We have already dug pit latrines. We are now waiting to formalize our operations by obtaining mining licenses as required.” Samson Lolii Lokom, LC3 Chairperson of Moruita Sub County, said the decision to close the mine was based on poor hygiene, high school dropout rates, and uncoordinated mining activities.
“The area is congested with a high population, which was a security threat,” Lokomon said. “Poor hygiene also exposes the community to health risks. People were defecating in water streams, and that same water was being used for domestic purposes!”
He added that many children, including high school students, had dropped out to work in the mines and efforts to get them out had failed. Lokomom said authorities have now instructed artisanal miners to form and register groups, construct toilet facilities, and cover all pits near communities before the site can be reopened.
“We are also looking at formulating an education ordinance to keep children in school and penalize parents who don’t comply,” he said. He further revealed that the sub-county has not been collecting revenue from artisanal miners despite large quantities of minerals being taken out. “We are challenging the miners to fulfill the directives if they want the site reopened,” Lokomom said.
It was not possible to get a comment from Gerald Eneku, the Inspector of Mines for Karamoja Region, who was not in office at the time of filing this story and did not pick our repeated calls-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
