Energy Ministry Suspends Illegal Gold Mining in Kanungu

The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development have suspended illegal gold mining activities in Kayungwe Sub-county, Kanungu District, citing unlicensed operations, environmental concerns, and public health risks.

For the past two months, hundreds of residents had flocked to a hilly area in Kanoni Village in search of gold. 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.

Area leaders had raised concerns that the gold rush was threatening food security, as many residents abandoned farming to pursue 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 State Minister for Minerals Phiona Nyamutoro inspected the site. It 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 taking place within the licensed exploration area were illegal because the miners lacked the necessary licences. Expressing concern over the growing number of people involved in unlicensed mining, the minister ordered the immediate suspension of all mining activities at the site.

She also highlighted the dire public health situation, noting that the mining camp lacks standard sanitation facilities and has no health centre or first-aid services to respond to emergencies.

Nyamutoro said the suspension is intended to restore order and facilitate the formalisation of artisanal mining in the area. She said the ministry will support the miners to organise themselves into a cooperative and acquire the licences required under Uganda’s artisanal and small-scale mining regulations.

Kanungu Resident District Commissioner Ambrose Amanyire urged residents to comply with the directive, warning that anyone who trespasses into the licensed exploration area or resumes illegal mining activities will face arrest.

The suspension follows mounting environmental concerns from 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.