Uganda: Civil Society Fraternity Voices Concern Over Capture of Mining Sector

Early this year a shocking video footage of heavily armed security personnel facing off with other security colleagues emerged in the media. In the footage, armed men dressed in counter-terrorism police uniforms were seen exchanging with colleagues from another unit in a heated exchange that nearly degenerated into a fully blown shootout. The footage showed police struggling to restrain a colleague dressed in regular police uniform who engaged in a heated exchange with the heavily armed personnel, but eventually calm was restored.

The dramatic events took place at the Kisita gold mine (in Kassanda district) that has now turned out to be a contested gold hot spot that has sucked in powerful government figures including State Minister for Minerals Development Sarah Opendi, State House Anti-corruption unit boss Lt. Col. Edith Nakalema, and the Uganda Revenue Authority pitted against Jessica Keigomba, the commandant of Police Minerals Protection Unit (PMPU) and the company bosses who are crying foul over the police unit's actions.

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