Nyamutoro launches Euro Gold mining site in Yumbe, company targets 80kg of gold monthly

Nyamutoro launches Euro Gold mining site in Yumbe, company targets 80kg of gold monthly

More than 1,000 jobs are expected to be created in West Nile following the launch of a Euro Gold mining and processing operation in Yumbe District by Minister of State for Mineral Development Phiona Nyamutoro.

The project, located in Komo Village, is expected to create employment across different stages of the mining value chain, including mineral extraction, processing and value addition.

Nyamutoro described the investment as a significant milestone in the development of Yumbe's mineral resources and Uganda's wider mining sector.

Upon her arrival at the site, machinery was switched on, marking the commencement of operations.

“I am so pleased that today we have shown the communities in West Nile and across the country evidence of responsible and sustainable mining because the Euro Gold mineral here is mercury free and they have the potential of crushing 60 tons which would enable them have quite a number of products at the end,” Nyamutoro said.

Euro Gold proprietor Bernard Mungu Feni said the company expects to employ more than 1,000 people across the different stages of the mining operation.

He said the company is targeting production of about 80 kilogrammes of gold per month once the operation reaches its projected capacity.

“There have been so many artisanal miners but what Euro Gold has done is to bring them together so that we can work according to government guidelines,” he said.

The company's mining concession covers about 79.8 square kilometres in Yumbe District, according to information previously provided by Euro Gold. The company has also said it intends to expand its mining operations to other parts of Uganda.

The mining operation is linked to Euro Gold Refinery Uganda Limited, which operates a licensed gold refinery in Kampala. Government records show the company holds a mineral refining licence valid from June 19, 2024 to June 18, 2034.

The investment is expected to contribute to the local economy through employment, mineral processing and corporate social responsibility programmes.

Yumbe District LC5 Chairperson Abdulmutwalib Asiku Muhamoud urged the company to prioritise local youth when recruiting workers.

The project is also expected to support infrastructure development in the area through the company's corporate social responsibility initiatives.

However, Nyamutoro cautioned the company and other stakeholders against employing children in mining activities, stressing the need to comply with labour and mining regulations.

“We encourage people to go by the rules as written in black and white in the mining laws of 2022 and we call upon them to formalize and do the right thing because at ministerial level we have tried to reach out a helping hand to see that the miners get all the support they can from the government,” Nyamutoro said.

The minister's remarks are in line with the government's push to formalise artisanal and small-scale mining and promote local value addition under the Mining and Minerals Act, 2022.

Euro Gold's Kampala refinery was commissioned in 2025 as one of Uganda's licensed gold refineries, with the company positioning itself as part of the country's drive to formalise the gold trade and increase domestic mineral value addition.

Feni, who has expanded Euro Gold's operations to several mining sites across the country, said the company is committed to making mining a profitable and organised business while working within government regulations.

The Yumbe project now becomes another component of the company's strategy to participate directly in gold extraction, processing and value addition in Uganda.