Namayingo gold rush turns deadly as unsafe pits kill four monthly

At least four people die monthly in gold mining accidents in Namayingo District, Eastern Uganda as an unregulated rush for the precious minerals draws unemployed youth into unsafe pits.

District officials attribute the deaths to crude mining methods, weak enforcement, and sudden shifting “gold rushes” that push miners into deep, unstable tunnels prone to collapse, suffocation, and drowning.

Namayingo Assistant Town Clerk Mr Abdulha Kauta Twaha said the sector is chaotic and unpredictable, with many miners working under dangerous conditions without proper training or equipment.

The impact is seen in the death of a 32-year-old Siraje Wafula, who died in a pit collapse last October after leaving home to earn for his family and never returned.

Mr Kauta said mining hotspots shift rapidly, with areas like Sigulu Islands becoming active almost overnight.

“Gold seems to appear overnight. Today they’re here, tomorrow elsewhere, and the numbers are huge,” Mr Kauta said.

He said most mining is done through deep tunnels up to 300 metres, supported by soil pillars.

Mr Kauta said the mining system is dangerously unstable, with miners digging caves and leaving weak support pillars often disturbed by others searching for quick gold at night.

“Miners dig underground caves and leave pillars, but those who enter at night for quick gold often ignore them, causing collapses,” Mr Kauta said.

He added that other deaths occur when soil collapses unexpectedly, especially in the rainy season, causing suffocation or burial underground.

Deaths often unreported

Mr Kauta said deaths in gold mining sites are often underreported and some never reach official records.

He estimated that between one and two people may be buried every week.

“Most deaths go unreported as employers fear legal action. Fellow workers often report missing miners, and some bodies, especially of migrants, are recovered days later,” Mr Kauta said.

Investors profit, locals get little.

Mr Kauta highlighted a sharp economic imbalance in the mining sector, where investors reportedly earn substantial profits while local miners receive minimal returns despite the high risks involved.

“Investors earn a lot while locals get peanuts working all night for as little as Shs 10,000 or even just soil whose gold content is uncertain,” he said.

He added that many residents turned to gold mining after fishing restrictions disrupted livelihoods that were once dependent on the lake.

Weak regulation

Mr Kauta said most mining operates outside district control, as licensing is done centrally with little local involvement.

“Some get licences in Kampala and come straight to the ground, bypassing the district despite our Department of Natural Resources,” he said.

He added that some operators claim to be prospecting but are actually carrying out full mining operations, denying the district any benefit.

Children trapped in mining sites

Mr Kauta said children are increasingly drawn into mining in Namayingo due to poverty and cheap labour, with whole families involved.

He added that one child died after drowning in a water-filled abandoned pit.

Limited enforcement

Mr Kauta said weak enforcement, limited resources, and external interference undermine mining regulation, as district efforts are often blocked despite working with security agencies.

Mr Kauta added that some miners operate with exploration licence holders, making the line between legal and illegal mining unclear.

He said the district lacks dedicated rescue teams for mining accidents, leaving fellow miners to carry out risky rescue efforts during collapses due to weak emergency response systems.

Mr Kauta called for urgent reforms, including local involvement in licensing, stronger safety enforcement, regulation of artisanal mining, and the promotion of alternative livelihoods to reduce dependence on risky gold mining.

Namayingo Natural Resources Officer Mr Alex Busagwa said most mining in the district is artisanal and informal, making regulation difficult.

He said licensed mining is minimal, while most activity takes place outside formal frameworks.

“We only have one small-scale licensed operator. The rest are artisanal miners using traditional methods,” he said.

Unsafe mining and environmental damage

Mr Busagwa said many deaths result from digging too deep into unstable ground, especially during rainy seasons.

“When it rains, the soil becomes weak. The walls collapse and trap those inside,” he said.

Mr Busagwa warned that mining is causing environmental damage, including wetland destruction and water contamination.

He warned that miners use hazardous chemicals such as mercury, cyanide, sulphuric acid, and caustic soda, which pollute ecosystems.

“These chemicals accumulate in the body and act as slow poisons,” he said, adding that wetlands, which support agriculture and act as natural water filters, are being destroyed.

Mr Busagwa said enforcement remains weak due to limited funding, technical expertise, and manpower needed to effectively monitor mining activities.

“We have personnel, but we don’t have enough resources to effectively monitor all mining sites,” he said, noting that inspections are often irregular and depend on donor or partner support, which undermines efforts to safeguard lives.

Mr Julius Katusiime, Executive Director of Namayingo Miners Association, said deaths in Namayingo mining sites are mainly caused by crude mining methods, weak enforcement, and poor safety practices.

“Most of the deaths we see are due to poor mining methods and lack of proper safety,” he said.

Mr Katusiime, who is also the Chief Executive Officer of Precious Gold Leach, a company dealing in mining, noted that unregulated operations and dangerous underground techniques increase the risk of pit collapses and fatalities.

“When people dig without proper support systems, the tunnels easily collapse and lives are lost,” Mr Katusiime said.

Mr Katusiime added that corruption and weak government monitoring have worsened safety standards, contributing to frequent accidents.

“Corruption has made enforcement weak, and that is why accidents keep happening,” he said.

He said that although recent interventions have reduced deaths, mining remains risky due to poor structures and unsafe working conditions.

“Things have slightly improved, but mining is still very dangerous because safety is not fully observed,” he added.

Mr Allan Derick Ojambo, a 12-year mining veteran, said accidents are common in gold sites due to poor safety practices.

He recalled that in December last year, two miners from Ankole Sub -region were buried alive in a pit at Buyinja mining site.

“People die in pits because safety is not ensured. Some are poorly dug or filled with water, increasing accident risks,” he said.

Mr Ojambo said experienced miners can sometimes detect early signs of collapse and escape in time.

“I have survived several incidents. Sometimes I go down with oxygen, use pumps to drain water, and place logs to strengthen pillars,” he said.

He added that authorities were once slow to respond to mining deaths, but improved after miners’ protests.

“Previously, bodies were not removed from collapsed pits until we protested. Now officials intervene and help retrieve them,” he said.

Mr Ojambo said he continues mining due to lack of alternative income, though frequent deaths of colleagues leave him traumatised.

Police report

Busoga East Police spokesperson Mr Michael Kasadha said the district has registered only three deaths since the beginning of the year in Namayingo and Bugiri mining areas.

According to Mr Kasadha, the recorded deaths this year were caused by different incidents, including electrocution, pit collapses, and suffocation.

“In the first incident, one person died after being electrocuted when a generator was connected to a pit without protective gear. In another recent case, two people suffocated after entering an abandoned pit that had no oxygen,” he said.

Mr Kasadha said many mining-related deaths go unreported, making it difficult to establish exact figures, and dismissed claims that about four people die monthly, noting that available police records do not support the figure.

He added that in some cases, bodies are quickly removed from sites before police arrive, while others are concealed entirely.

“We struggle to get accurate numbers because some incidents are hidden and cooperation from the community is low,” Mr Kasadha revealed.

He disclosed that police have made arrests in some cases, with at least one person already charged over negligence in illegal mining activities.

Mr Kasadha explained that the Mineral Protection Unit is actively enforcing safety measures and closing unsafe or illegal pits.

“We have instructed that no more operations should continue in unsafe areas, and we shall keep enforcing that order,” he said.

Mr Kasadha added that police are conducting community sensitisation campaigns to educate residents about the dangers of unsafe mining, especially in pits without protective structures or equipment.

Whether three deaths or four per month, the reality in Namayingo’s gold mines remains serious, as miners continue to risk their lives in unstable pits with little protection.

With enforcement gaps, informal operations, and rising poverty driving the rush, stakeholders say urgent action is needed before more lives are lost underground.