The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Busia, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Hundreds of artisanal miners have descended on a new gold mining site in Bulumbi village, Namungodi town council in Busia district. The artisanal miners are drawn from Buteba, Tiira, Busitema, Namungodi and Buteba sub-counties and the neighboring Namayingo district.
According to the artisanal miners, one of their colleagues tipped them off about the newly identified site prompting them to dash to Namungodi town council. Currently, each of the miners is struggling to open his own gold pit. Suleiman Barasa, a resident of Bulumbi village says that they were digging a spring well and landed on gold cores. He explains that using his experience as an artisanal miner for the last ten years, they crushed the gold core and found two points of gold.
Twaha Kalogo, another resident says that they also dug a five feet deep pit and landed on more gold core, which has since attracted several artisanal miners.
Helen Jaaja, a resident of Sikuda town council in Busia district says that she decided to search the new site in Namungodi to search for gold for sale and boost her earnings.
Ayub Mugowa, a resident of Sango village in Buswale sub-county of Namayingo district says that he heard people talking about the new gold site, which prompted him to join the search for gold.
Joseph Bwire, the LC 1 chairperson of Bulumbi village, says that the number of artisanal gold miners is increasing every day. He says that the miners approach the landlords who allocate them space to begin digging pits in search of gold.
Keneth Ampurira, the officer in charge of mineral protection has confirmed the discovery of the new gold site in Namungodi. He has advised the artisanal miner to organize themselves and register their business in accordance with Ugandan laws.
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