Mad rush as artisanal miners flood Namayingo for gold

Hundreds of artisanal gold miners and businessmen have converged in Mpano Village, Namayingo Town Council, Namayingo District, following the discovery of gold.

The gold was discovered two weeks ago by a farmer who was planting bananas in Mpano, a Village where residents are predominantly subsistence farmers.

Mr Sulaiyiti Muyinda, who discovered the gold, on Tuesday, said: “I had been excavating holes to plant bananas in my garden when I came across the gold-bearing rocks, and when I took them for processing, I discovered it was gold.”

Mr Muyinda says from a basin full of rock material which he processed from a nearby mining area of Budde, he got gold which fetched him Shs264,000.

He says this prompted about 15 people to follow him back to his village, and that by 8pm on Monday, over 300 miners had converged at his home following the news.

“We have miners from Tiira, Buhweju, Mubende, Karamoja, Northern Uganda, Rwanda, Kenya and Tanzania who have all come here to look for the new-found precious metal gold,” said Mr Muyinda.

Ms Pamela Awino, a Kenyan from Kisumu, who was found cleaning the gold-bearing rocks hours after she arrived in the mining area, said she hopes to get money and support her family and start a big business.

“I arrived here two hours ago from Kenya and I’m looking to make quick money from this gold business,” she said.

Namayingo District Vice Chairperson, Mr Twaha Kauta, said the discovery of gold was an opportunity for the many residents who were unemployed, especially residents of Mpano Village who were dependent on growing beans, maize and cassava at subsistence level.

Concerns
Mr Kauta, however, says the area only has 12 pit latrines which are too few for the large population and fears it could become a recipe for the spread of diseases once rains start.

“The population here is too big as compared to the number of toilets that have been excavated. We are telling the miners to construct at least 20 latrines to cater for this (big) number,” Mr Kauta said.

He added that he is “worried” by the many deep pits that are being left uncovered, which he fears may turn into death traps.

Mr Ivan Ouma, who is among the hundreds of youth who have joined the gold rush, said he hopes to make money and improve his livelihood.

“I have been unemployed, but now have a job and hope to get money,” Mr Ouma said, adding that he had seen people reaping from the gold business, with some earning up to Shs300 million and thinks he should be the next person to gain from such an opportunity.

Ms Sarah Nalubanga, who joined the mining business a week ago, is excited after she earned Shs10 million from the gold business.

Mr John Apili, an artisanal miner based in Tiira Busia District, has since relocated to Namayingo District whose stakes he said were “high”.

In the neighbouring Namayingo Town, Nsango, and Muterere, traders have closed their shops and embraced the gold-mining business.

Ms Betty Nakato, who has been operating a restaurant in Namayingo Town decided to embrace gold mining and has since opened up a kiosk in the area, which she says is so far doing well.

Mr Kenneth Kabwigo, the in-charge operations mineral police, who was in the area to sensitise the artisan miners, said they are operating illegally and had flouted the Mining Act.

“People have simply gathered here in large numbers after the discovery of gold in this village and are not following any procedures and that is why we are here to realign them,” he said.