Kikuube’s deadly gold mining site

A section of Kikuube district residents are demanding quicker interventions by the authorities as their lives remain at risk.

These fears stem from the death of four at an abandoned water-filled gold mining site where the lives of their relatives were ended.

The abandoned gold mining site has become a death trap and was last excavated in 2020 by Mechanised Agro Uganda Limited.

It is located in Mugabi village. To date, it has claimed the lives of seven including those from the two neighbouring villages.

In a space of two years, it has killed five residents of Mugabi village, one from Bujarya village and another from Kihabweemi South village.

The latest incident was reported on Monday last week where three children and their mother drowned inside a mining pond and died on the spot in Mugabi village. The three children were buried in the same grave while their mother was buried separately.

The mining site was leased to Mechanised Agro Uganda for two years by Joseph Garuhanga, a resident of Bujarya village in Buhimba sub-county.

However, it is revealed that Mechanised Agro Uganda Limited which had even received clearance from both National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) and Kikuube district authorities used only six months and later abandoned the site which has become a waterlogged pond.

People become victims, since the site has two access roads connecting Kirimbi and Bujarya and is also close to two boreholes.

Charles Mbabazi, a resident of Mugabi village who lost his three children and wife after they drowned, said he was shocked when he received the sad news from the neighbours.

“I was really shocked after running to the site and finding some of the bodies floating on the water,” he said.

He has asked the authorities to ensure they address this problem as soon as possible.

Daniel Mukonyezi, Julius Muhanuzi and other residents from the same area said they have on several occasions addressed the challenge to the district authorities but they remain unsupported.

God Gama, a local water diver from Mugabi village said he has managed to retrieve bodies from the abandoned site as well as save lives.

Cypria Kyaligonza, the LC1 chairperson of Mugabi village and Fred Nsubuga, the Buhimba sub-county councillor representing Musaijamukuru East Parish called for immediate intervention from the Kikuube District Security Committee led by the RDC Godwin Angalia.

Joseph Garuhanga, the landlord, said he leased the land to the company since it had obtained a certificate from both NEMA and Kikuube district to excavate gold.

However, he noted that it was unfortunate that the operator left after six months without restoring the site as directed by NEMA.

RDC Godwin Angalia said that the district would immediately intervene to fence off the site and also notify NEMA about the mess.