6/7/2026
The ministry of Energy and Mineral Development has suspended gold mining activities in Kayungwe sub-county, Kanungu district, citing unlicensed operations, environmental degradation and public health concerns.
For the past two months, hundreds of residents had flocked to a hilly area in Kanoni village following reports of gold deposits. The influx led to the establishment of temporary tents, makeshift shelters and iron-sheet structures to accommodate miners, despite the absence of basic sanitation facilities such as toilets and without measures to protect the environment.
Local leaders had raised concerns that the gold rush was threatening food security, with many residents abandoning farming to engage in mining. They also reported that some children had dropped out of school to join their parents at the mining site.
On Thursday, a team from the ministry of Energy and Mineral Development led by the state minister for Minerals, Phiona Nyamutoro, inspected the site and informed miners that the land falls under Exploration Licence EL00135, which was granted to Shiye Miners Company for mineral exploration.
Nyamutoro explained that all mining activities within the licensed exploration area were illegal because the miners lacked the licences required under the Mining and Minerals Act.
Expressing concern over the growing number of people engaged in unlicensed mining, the minister ordered the immediate suspension of all mining activities at the site.
She also highlighted the poor public health conditions at the mining camp, noting that it lacks standard sanitation facilities, as well as a health centre or first-aid services to respond to emergencies.
Nyamutoro said the suspension is intended to restore order while enabling government to formalise artisanal mining in the area. She said the ministry will support the miners to organise themselves into a cooperative and acquire the licences required to operate legally under Uganda’s artisanal and small-scale mining framework.
Kanungu resident district commissioner (RDC) Ambrose Amanyire urged residents to comply with the directive, warning that anyone who trespasses onto the licensed exploration area or resumes illegal mining activities will be arrested.
The suspension follows growing environmental concerns raised by neighbouring communities.
On June 28, 2026, residents of Rugyeyo sub-county and Nyakabungo Town Council petitioned district authorities, accusing artisanal miners in Kayungwe sub-county of polluting water sources through poor waste disposal and the use of mercury during gold extraction.
The petitioners warned that the contamination poses a serious threat to public health and the environment, and called on authorities to intervene before the situation deteriorates further.
