The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development, working with the Police’s Mineral Protection Unit, has launched a major crackdown on illegal mining in Western Uganda, leading to several arrests and site closures.
The operation, spearheaded by the Commissioner of Mines, Agnes Alaba, began last week and is targeting the illicit mining and trade of tin, iron ore, gold, and wolfram. It is being conducted in partnership with regional and national security commanders, intelligence officers, and other government officials.
In Kabale District, nine suspects were on Wednesday arrested during operations in Butare Cell (Rutooma Ward, Northern Division) and Nyakijumba Cell (Southern Division), Kabale Municipality. Several others reportedly fled after being tipped off. Trucks used to transport iron ore were impounded, while police officers were deployed to guard and seal off illegal mining sites.
Alaba said those arrested were engaged in mining and trading without licenses and warned that landowners who aid illegal miners by claiming ownership of minerals on their land would also be treated as accomplices. She emphasized government’s commitment to promoting value addition to minerals to curb the illegal export of raw resources such as gold, tin and iron ore.
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ACP Julius Caesar Tusingwiire, head of the Police Mineral Protection Unit, noted that iron ore and wolfram remain the most smuggled minerals from Kabale and Rubanda districts. He revealed that those arrested included Ugandans, Burundians, Indians, and Chinese nationals.
Tusingwiire confirmed that the suspects will be charged under the Mining and Minerals Act, 2022, which prescribes up to six years in prison or fines of 50,000 currency points (about Shs 1 billion) for illegal mining.
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The joint team also inspected several sites, raising concern over the severe environmental degradation caused by unregulated mining. In Butare Cell, a 1.5-kilometer stretch of land was left with deep open pits, creating dangerous terrain that experts warn could trigger landslides. In some cases, houses were seen standing precariously above hollowed-out ground where iron ore had been extracted.
