More than 3,000 artisanal miners have been forced out of a recently discovered gold mining site in Buyala Village, Busia District, following an operation conducted by the Mineral Protection Police Unit over concerns about illegal extraction methods and poor sanitation.
The gold deposits, reportedly identified by local residents about two weeks ago, attracted thousands of miners hoping to earn a livelihood from the three-acre site.
Authorities say the decision to shut down operations was prompted by alarming health and safety conditions. Inspectors found that the site lacked pit latrines, forcing miners to resort to open defecation, a practice officials warned could trigger disease outbreaks.
Police also raised concerns about the manner in which mining pits had been excavated, noting that many were dug too close to each other, creating a high risk of cave-ins that could lead to injuries or deaths.
However, several miners disputed the eviction, arguing that they had been operating with the consent of landowners and should have been given an opportunity to address the shortcomings before being chased away.
Betty Nambuya, a former councillor representing Chawo Parish in Busitema Sub-county, faulted the authorities for carrying out the eviction without first allowing miners to improve sanitation facilities and comply with safety guidelines.
David Mande, one of the affected miners, questioned why the government opted for immediate enforcement instead of issuing a notice requiring miners to rectify the identified problems.
Another miner, Sawudha Namunyole, said the closure had left many households without a source of income. She suggested that the reasons advanced by police may not tell the whole story, claiming that artisanal miners are often displaced after discovering profitable deposits, only for more influential players in the mining sector to later take over the sites.
Namunyole explained that earnings from gold mining have enabled many families to pay school fees and meet daily expenses. She added that women have increasingly become breadwinners as some men have abandoned their responsibilities.
She appealed to the government to regulate rather than prohibit artisanal mining, arguing that local communities depend heavily on the activity for survival.
Cephus Wanjala, the Eastern Regional Zonal Minerals Police Commander, defended the operation, saying unlicensed and unsafe mining remains a major challenge in the region.
According to Wanjala, authorities have documented several fatalities linked to collapsing pits and are determined to ensure that all mining activities comply with the law. He said individuals interested in mining should first secure licences from the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development.
He further revealed that police had recently conducted sensitization meetings with residents, emphasizing the need for proper sanitation facilities and recommending that mining pits be separated by at least 30 metres to minimize the risk of collapse.
Wanjala also accused some landowners of leasing out land to miners without ensuring adherence to basic safety requirements, thereby exposing workers to danger.
He warned that similar enforcement operations would continue across the Eastern Region until illegal and hazardous mining practices are brought under control.
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