Gold miners at the closed Kayungwe Gold Mine in Kanungu District have protested fresh restrictions issued by State Minister for Minerals Phionah Nyamutoro, further frustrating efforts to resume mining at the site.
The mine, located in Kanyungwe Sub-county, Kinkiizi East County, was closed in July 2026, forcing hundreds of artisanal miners to vacate the area. Before the closure, hundreds of people had flocked to the hilly area in search of gold, leading to the establishment of temporary tents, makeshift shelters and iron-sheet structures to accommodate miners, traders and sex workers, among others. Business communities also established a daily market at the mining site.
However, the area lacked basic sanitation facilities, including toilets and health centres, while concerns were also raised about environmental degradation. During the closure in July 2026, Nyamutoro said the land where the artisanal miners had been operating falls within Exploration Licence EL00135, granted to Shiye Miners Company Limited for mineral exploration.
She explained that all mining activities within the licensed exploration area were illegal because the miners did not possess the required licences. Despite the closure, local leaders alleged that illegal mining had resumed, with some security personnel deployed to the area accused of facilitating access to the site. The leaders further alleged that some miners had bribed security officers to gain access to the closed mine but were later turned against and allegedly tortured by the same personnel.
While miners were waiting for good news for the reopening of the mines, on Thursday Nyamutoro again visited the mined and issued more curtailing orders. The orders were started by Kanungu Resident District Commissioner Ambrose Amanyire Mwesigye who questioned why people were still roaming around the area despite the mine having been closed.
Amanyire said some of the miners and other people moving around the site had contributed to insecurity in the area. He directed village leaders to work with the Gomborora Internal Security Officer (GISO) to register the people still in the area or remove them before security personnel begin patrols to arrest those found there.
Nyamutoro ordered for the closure and demolition of the market and makeshift lodges that had supported activities around the mine. She also ordered the demolition of makeshift lodges outside the mining area.
However, she allowed miners to access the site to retrieve heaps of already-mined ore for processing. Nyamutoro further directed that pits located too close to one another, less than 100 metres apart be backfilled, saying they pose a risk of collapsing and endangering people.
Nyamutoro also ordered the closure of all gold-processing centres operating in the area, including those in people’s homes, over the use of mercury, which she said poses serious health risks and is prohibited. She said only mercury-free processing centres operated by licensed companies would be allowed to continue operating. These include processing facilities belonging to Shiye Miners Company Limited, the licence holder, and Pearl Refineries Limited, which she said is in the process of formalising its operations with the ministry. Nyamutoro warned that anyone found processing gold using mercury would be arrested and prosecuted, while the equipment used would be confiscated.
She also ordered Shiye Miners Company Limited to construct 20 latrines at the site to improve sanitation and directed the company to strengthen security by hiring private security guards to prevent illegal mining. Nyamutoro gave the company 21 days to implement the directives.
The fresh directives angered the miners. Ishmael Ampumuza and Allan Musimenta, the General Secretary of the Dondoma-Kayungwe Artisanal Miners Association, said they were tired of receiving directives from Nyamutoro that were not being implemented. They accused security personnel deployed to the site of engaging in mining activities despite the closure and demanded their withdrawal from the area.
Other miners, including Silaj Nsamba, Sebastian Nsimenta and Jordan Rwampara, also protested the fresh directives, saying they were frustrated by the minister’s visit because they had expected her to reopen the mine. They said they had invested borrowed money in gold mining and were now struggling to repay their loans following the closure of the mine.
Lydia Byarugaba, the councillor for Kayungwe Parish, said she had no problem with miners living and operating in the area, arguing that their presence had boosted business. Byarugaba called for the resumption of mining activities-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
