Buhweju RDC vows to toughen his fight against illegal miners

Buhweju Resident District Commissioner (RDC), Emmy Kateera Turyabagyenyi, has vowed to continue his fight against illegal miners, strongly warning illegal artisanal miners in the district to leave before action is taken against them.

Kateera says in the areas of Kalembe and Muti, unbearable environmental degradation is taking its toll, because people have left every other activity, and have ventured into mining, citing that the illegal activities are facilitated by the rich people in the area.

The RDC reveals that in a recent district security committee meeting, they agreed to visit these areas this week to close and cover all the illegal mines there.

Kateera last week also closed a mine in Muti, estimated to have been employing 10,000 people, for lack of authorization from the environment body, and interfering on the water source for a 1.2 billion government water project.

The RDC reiterates that these artisanal miners can only remain if they have Impact Assessment Certificate from National Environment Management Authority (NEMA), which authorizes the mining and obliges them to close the mining pits once the exercise is done.