The Uganda Police Mineral Protection Unit, working jointly with local residents, has intensified efforts to recover the bodies of two artisanal gold miners who remain trapped in a collapsed gold pit in Namayingo District. The miners are believed to have been buried when the walls of an abandoned gold pit caved in at Mabuka Village, Bukana Sub-county, on July 19, 2026. A total of 12 artisanal miners were trapped while illegally mining at the site, which had previously been closed by authorities due to safety concerns.
Following the collapse, the Police Mineral Protection Unit rescued seven miners who sustained serious injuries and recovered one body. The injured victims were admitted to various health facilities, while the deceased was handed over to relatives for burial. The two miners whose bodies remain buried more than 100 feet underground have been identified as Israel Tukuzemuremi and Daniel Byakatonda, both residents of Lubaali Sub-county in Kasanda District.
Cephus Wanjala, the Police Mineral Protection Unit Zonal Commander for the Eastern Region, said police had joined forces with Namayingo District leaders, Namayingo Police, and local residents to recover the remaining bodies. He said two excavators provided by Wagagai Gold Mining Company had been deployed to assist in the recovery operation, but the equipment had not yet reached the depth where the bodies are believed to be trapped.
Wanjala noted that the mining site had been closed in June after recording four previous incidents in which artisanal miners were buried in pit collapses. However, despite the closure, residents have continued to return to the site to engage in illegal gold mining.
Kennedy Asimwe, the Director of the Uganda Artisanal Gold Miners Association, called on the government to prioritise funding livelihood programmes, including the Parish Development Model, in mineral-rich areas. He said creating alternative sources of income would discourage communities from engaging in dangerous illegal mining activities.
Yasin Mugambi, a brother of one of the missing miners, said the family had spent several days digging in an attempt to recover the bodies without success. He appealed to the government to provide additional support so that their loved ones could receive a decent burial. Another resident, Oscar Musasizi, said locals initially tried to retrieve the bodies using hand hoes, but their efforts were unsuccessful. He added that even the excavators currently being used have failed to reach the depth where the bodies are believed to be.
By the time of filing this report, police, local leaders, and residents were still searching for the two remaining bodies buried in the collapsed gold pit -URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
