• Contact Us
  • About Us
  • Advertise
  • Donate
  • Login
Watchdog Uganda
  • Home
  • News
    • National
    • Politics
    • World News
    • Media Outreach Newswire
    • Africa News
    • Tourism
    • Community News
    • Luganda
    • Sports
      • Football
      • Motorsport
  • Op-Ed
    • #Out2Lunch
    • Conversations with
    • Politics
    • Relationships
  • Business
    • Agriculture
    • CEOs & Entrepreneurs,
    • Companies
    • Finance
    • Products
    • RealEstate
    • Technology
  • Entertainment
    • Lifestyle
  • People
    • Showbiz
      • Salon Mag
  • Special Report
    • Education
    • Voices
  • Reviews
    • Products
    • Events
    • Hotels
    • Restaurants
    • Places
  • WD-TV
  • Donate
  • China News
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
    • National
    • Politics
    • World News
    • Media Outreach Newswire
    • Africa News
    • Tourism
    • Community News
    • Luganda
    • Sports
      • Football
      • Motorsport
  • Op-Ed
    • #Out2Lunch
    • Conversations with
    • Politics
    • Relationships
  • Business
    • Agriculture
    • CEOs & Entrepreneurs,
    • Companies
    • Finance
    • Products
    • RealEstate
    • Technology
  • Entertainment
    • Lifestyle
  • People
    • Showbiz
      • Salon Mag
  • Special Report
    • Education
    • Voices
  • Reviews
    • Products
    • Events
    • Hotels
    • Restaurants
    • Places
  • WD-TV
  • Donate
  • China News
No Result
View All Result
Watchdog Uganda
No Result
View All Result

Local miners, government clash over gold mines

Mubiru Ivan by Mubiru Ivan
5 years ago
in National, News
9 1
Sarah Opendi, chairperson, UWOPA.

Sarah Opendi, chairperson, UWOPA.

ShareTweetSendShare

Artisanal gold miners under their umbrella body Mubende United Miners Assembly (MUMA) which brings together 21 associations have asked the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development to return their original land with gold deposits that had been redistributed to other miners.

A team from MUMA led by John Bosco Bukya met with Committee on Natural Resources and representatives from the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development led by State Minister for Mineral Development, Sarah Opendi to hear the decision of the government on the fate of the artisanal miners who had been evicted from their land. The meeting took place on Tuesday, 10 March 2020.

In 2017, 60,000 artisanal and small scale miners in Mubende were evicted from the mines on the orders of President Yoweri Museveni on grounds that they were conducting illegal gold mining activities and destroying the environment.

However, after the artisanal miners under MUMA mounted pressure, the President, in 2018, wrote a letter asking AUC (Uganda) Limited mining company to give 30 per cent of its 144.7 square-kilometres of r land to the artisanal miners under MUMA. Initially, AUC had been granted licenses over all mineralized land in Mubende.

Bukya said that the land granted to them was not mineralized and was not their original land taken away during the eviction.

“We have conducted extensive exploration tests on the land and have discovered that the land we were given is not mineralized,” he said that, “we have also received resistance from some of the new land owners because they are worried that they might be evicted like us”.

Bukya added that much as the Ministry has come out countless times to state that MUMA has not done enough exploration, they are willing to invite them to conduct the exploration.

He said that MUMA is willing to take back at least one square-kilometre of the land they originally operated on.

The Chairperson of the Committee, Hon. Keefa Kiwanuka said that the Ministry had earlier failed to respond to the matter and solve it amicably.

“As the ministry, you need to call these people, sit down and come to an agreement with them over this issue; all they seem to want is a small piece of productive land so that they can survive,” he added.

Hon. Reagan Okumu (Aswa County) said that the government needs to stop concerning itself with foreign investors to hear the plight of its locals because they are suffering.

“The locals are asking to be given back their land; they would not be here if what was rightfully theirs was not taken away,” he said.

Minister Opendi said that MUMA had failed on their part to put to use the land allocated to them, putting no effort into exploring the land for mineralization.

She said that the Ministry had allocated 30 location licenses to MUMA miners but only four associations had conducted explorations which are not enough to render the land non-mineralized.

“MUMA has done basic exploration to jump to conclusions; 17 sample results of three square-kilometres cannot be a basis for declaring over 15 square-kilometres barren,” Opendi added.

She said that the ministry is worried the artisanal miners’ demands will never stop if they are always yielded to.


Do you have a story in your community or an opinion to share with us: Email us at editorial@watchdoguganda.com
Share2Tweet1SendShare

Related Posts

Chancellor of Jinja Diocese and Bishop’s Secretary, Fr. Gerald Mutto
News

Preparations for St. Gonzaga Gonza Day celebrations complete 

4th July 2025 at 17:54
News

New business lounge commissioned at Entebbe International Airport

4th July 2025 at 16:40
News

Jinja Hospital Boss Dr. Yayi Calls for Improved Maternal and Child Health Services To Curb Birth Asphyxia

4th July 2025 at 16:36
Next Post
Faith with MC Kats

Who is Faith Ntaborwa;the excited slay queen who leaked an after sex video of MC Kats

  • Prostitution in Uganda- Courtesy Photo

    10 dangerous hotspots known for prostitutes in Kampala

    1108 shares
    Share 443 Tweet 277
  • LIST: New salary structure for civil servants starting July 2020 out; scientists, lecturers get juicy pay rise

    2285 shares
    Share 914 Tweet 571
  • Uganda’s Billionaires 2025: Once Again Sudhir Ruparelia Leads a Resilient Pack

    43 shares
    Share 17 Tweet 11
  • Silent Billionaire Bosco Muwonge Buys Mukwano Arcade at UGX 250 Billion Cash Down

    25 shares
    Share 10 Tweet 6
  • LIST : Gov’t releases Revised Salary Structure for Teachers, Police, and Prisons Staff for FY 2024/2025

    119 shares
    Share 48 Tweet 30
Facebook Twitter

Contact Information

Watchdog Uganda is a portal for solution journalism, trending news plus cutting edge commentaries in the fields of politics, security, business, tourism, entertainment, technology, agriculture, climate change, environment, public health et al. We also give preference to Ugandan community news and topical discussions. The portal also publishes community news and topical discussions.

Email: editorial@watchdoguganda.com
To Advertise:Click here

Latest News

Hon. Raphael Magyezi

Yara East Africa and Asili Agriculture Launch Agri-Hub in Kiryandongo to Advance Farmer Knowledge and Food Security in Uganda

4th July 2025 at 19:06
Chancellor of Jinja Diocese and Bishop’s Secretary, Fr. Gerald Mutto

Preparations for St. Gonzaga Gonza Day celebrations complete 

4th July 2025 at 17:54

Check out

  • Trending
  • Comments
  • Latest
Minister Muruli Mukasa

LIST: New salary structure for civil servants starting July 2020 out; scientists, lecturers get juicy pay rise

24th May 2020 at 10:45
Pregnant woman

Shock as 17-year old boy impregnates his two sisters during Covid-19 lockdown 

17th June 2020 at 08:17
Sudhir Ruparelia is set to speak at business forum in United Kingdom

Billionaire Sudhir’s wisdom on how to invest in real estate

0

How a boy’s destiny turned from cotton grower to communications guru

0
Hon. Raphael Magyezi

Yara East Africa and Asili Agriculture Launch Agri-Hub in Kiryandongo to Advance Farmer Knowledge and Food Security in Uganda

4th July 2025 at 19:06
Chancellor of Jinja Diocese and Bishop’s Secretary, Fr. Gerald Mutto

Preparations for St. Gonzaga Gonza Day celebrations complete 

4th July 2025 at 17:54

© 2025 Watchdog Uganda

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
    • National
    • Politics
    • World News
    • Media Outreach Newswire
    • Africa News
    • Tourism
    • Community News
    • Luganda
    • Sports
      • Football
      • Motorsport
  • Op-Ed
    • #Out2Lunch
    • Conversations with
    • Politics
    • Relationships
  • Business
    • Agriculture
    • CEOs & Entrepreneurs,
    • Companies
    • Finance
    • Products
    • RealEstate
    • Technology
  • Entertainment
    • Lifestyle
  • People
    • Showbiz
      • Salon Mag
  • Special Report
    • Education
    • Voices
  • Reviews
    • Products
    • Events
    • Hotels
    • Restaurants
    • Places
  • WD-TV
  • Donate
  • China News

© 2025 Watchdog Uganda