By Akankwasa Sharifu.
KANUNGU, Uganda.
State Minister for Mineral Development Phiona Nyamutoro on Thursday declared the Kanungu Artisanal and Small Scale Miners Cooperative null and void, deepening a dispute over who should control mining activities at the Kayungwe gold site.
Nyamutoro made the declaration during an extraordinary Kanungu District Council meeting before travelling to Kayungwe to inspect the mining area and investigate allegations of illegal mining.
The development comes about two months after the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development suspended mining activities at the site, saying the area was covered by Exploration Licence EL00135 held by Shiye Miners Company. The ministry said at the time that miners did not have the licences required to operate legally.
But Col. Samson Mande, chairperson of the Kanungu Artisanal and Small Scale Miners Cooperative, rejected the minister’s position and accused her of being biased against the cooperative.
Mande said the cooperative is fully registered and has already made progress in organising local artisanal miners. He said the group remains committed to continuing with its activities through the legal process.
According to Mande, the minister’s position appears to favour Shiye Miners Company, a Chinese-linked company holding the exploration licence covering the area. Previous reports from the ministry and Ugandan media have confirmed that Shiye Miners Company holds Exploration Licence EL00135.
The dispute comes after the government initially directed miners to organise themselves into a cooperative as part of efforts to formalise artisanal and small-scale mining.
When she visited Kayungwe in July, Nyamutoro said the government was not opposed to artisanal mining but wanted miners to operate legally, safely and within the country’s mining regulations. She also raised concerns over poor sanitation, environmental degradation, unsafe working conditions and the use of mercury at the site.
Mande said the cooperative is ready to continue engaging government and pursue a solution that allows local miners to participate in the exploitation of the gold resources.
Minister of Health and Kinkiizi East MP Dr. Chris Baryomunsi wrote to the Cabinet Minister for Energy and Mineral Development Hon. Dr. Monica Musenero Masanza over issues surrounding gold mining in Kayungwe.
Mande confirmed that he will attend the planned meeting and said he hopes the discussions will be conducted with decorum and lead to a fair solution.