The government has ordered all artisanal miners in Kisiita Gold Mine in Kasanda District to vacate. The over 3000 artisanal are expected to vacate the mines before the elapse of the six month’s deadline, which expires in November this year.
The move is aimed at allowing the government to handover the mines to the company expected to operate it. Phoebe Namulindwa, the Kasanda Resident District Commissioner, says that the government through the Ministry of Energy and Minerals Development licensed Kisiita Mining company to operate the mines.
She, however, says that the company has failed to take over the mines of various wrangles with other companies also claiming to own mining rights in the same area. Namulindwa says that they are under instructions from the president to evict all the people from the mining site.
She says that some artisanal miners have started vacating the gold mines while others are still going about their work.
Kasanda District Woman Member of Parliament, Flavia Nabagabe Kalule wants the government to first put up an infrastructure where they are relocating the miners and compensate them.
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