Artisanal miners demand inclusiveness in markets

Thu June 04 2026

However, some artisanal and small-scale miners argue that the regulations and guidelines governing the facilities should be transparent, non-discriminatory, and accessible to all.

Ms Anna Kobusingye Kibwika, a member of the Mubende United Miners Assembly, said while miners welcome the government’s initiative to establish mineral markets and buying centres closer to mining areas, including the proposed facility in Kassanda District, the centres should also help address many challenges facing the industry.

“The mineral industry is infiltrated with scammers, unrealistic middlemen, and unscrupulous traders taking advantage of the existing gaps within the mineral industry. The local artisanal and small-scale miners should have representatives at the management level of the markets and buying centres,” she said.

Puzzle of markets

In Kassanda and Mubende districts, hundreds of artisanal and small-scale miners are concerned about unscrupulous middlemen who could seek to undermine the authority of the gazetted mineral markets and buying centres.

Mr Baker Kabala, a small-scale miner at Kitumbi Gold Mines, wants the government to clarify the issue of standard market prices.

“Because gold is among the most precious minerals, scammers and speculators have always taken advantage of the market by determining the price of gold. We want the mineral markets and buying centres to stay clear of unscrupulous traders by sticking to the set guidelines and standards,” he told this publication.

However, Ms Agnes Alaba, the commissioner for Mines and Geological Survey at the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development, said the proposed one-stop mineral hubs are intended to protect miners from exploitation, illicit financial flows, and fraud within the mining industry.

“The mineral markets and buying centres will promote fair prices, transparency, and security against exploitation. Illicit financial flows and fraud-related activities in the mineral trade will effectively be checked after the successful establishment of one-stop mineral hubs,” she said during a stakeholder meeting held at Bukuya Town Council in Kassanda District in May 2026.

The one-stop hubs will operate under the Mineral Markets Regulations 2026, enacted under the Mining and Minerals Act 2022, and will be established in selected regions with significant mineral deposits.

For the Mubende-Kassanda mining region, the mineral market and buying centre will be located in Bukuya Town Council.

Some artisanal and small-scale miners claim the industry has long relied on speculators who influence market prices and trading practices while encouraging fraudulent activities that undermine fair trade in gold and other minerals mined in Kassanda, Mubende, and other mineral-rich areas.

“The government has, in the past, remained silent and protective of gold traders. Unscrupulous traders have always taken advantage of the many existing gaps in the mining industry to dictate market prices,” said Mr Abdul Kaliisa, a member of the Mubende United Miners Assembly (MUMA).

Licensed investors

This publication has learnt that under the new guidelines, only licensed investors and individual dealers will be allowed to trade at the one-stop hubs.

All mineral transactions will take place at government-regulated buying centres, with trading hours ending at 5pm.

For compliance purposes, the one-stop mineral markets and buying centres will be the only authorised trading centres where buyers and sellers can access information on market trends for specified minerals.

Government officials from the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development say only refined gold will be traded to improve monitoring of the country’s mineral industry.

Source: https://www.monitor.co.ug