Police Recover Body of Miner Trapped in Collapsed Namayingo Gold Pit

The Uganda Police Mineral Protection Unit has recovered the body of one of two artisanal gold miners who remained trapped in a collapsed gold pit in Namayingo District.

The Uganda Police Mineral Protection Unit has recovered the body of one of two artisanal gold miners who remained trapped in a collapsed gold pit in Namayingo District. The deceased has been identified as 21-year-old Daniel Byakatonda, a resident of Kitumbi Village in Kasanda District.

He was among the 10 artisanal miners buried when the gold pit, estimated to be more than 100 feet deep, collapsed on 19 July 2026 at Mabuka Village, Bugana Parish in Bukana Sub-county. ASP Cephus Wanjala, the Police Mineral Protection Unit Commander for the Eastern Region, said search teams have now recovered Byakatonda’s body and are continuing efforts to retrieve the remains of 25-year-old Isreal Tukuzemuremi, also a resident of Kitumbi Village and the deceased’s brother.

Wanjala said rescue teams began searching immediately after the accident was reported but were hampered by continuous ground movement and repeated collapses of the unstable pit walls, making it difficult to reach the bodies. He attributed the successful recovery to joint efforts involving the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development, Namayingo Police, and support from stakeholders, including Consolidated Precious Arm, the Uganda Association of Artisanal and Small-Scale Miners (UGASM), and other partners.

Wanjala said police will establish a permanent detachment at the site to prevent illegal mining activities, which authorities believe contributed to the tragedy. Yasin Mugambi, a brother of the deceased, said the family had endured a difficult wait for the recovery of Daniel’s body and expressed hope that the second body would also be retrieved.

Byakatonda’s body had been handed over to relatives for burial arrangements, while police continued searching for Tukuzemuremi’s remains.

The pit collapse on 19 July claimed the lives of 10 artisanal miners, highlighting the persistent safety risks associated with illegal and poorly regulated artisanal mining operations in parts of eastern Uganda. URN