Elevating Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining in Uganda: From Marginalized Operators to Strategic National Players

What the report says

Nile Post published an opinion piece arguing that Uganda’s artisanal and small-scale miners should be treated as strategic partners in the country’s extractives sector rather than as marginal or informal operators. The author says these miners account for a large share of production in metallic, industrial and building minerals, and also support rural jobs and local mineral trade, even though policy attention often goes to multinational and large-scale mining companies.

The article says the sector faces persistent gaps, including limited technical extension services, weak access to protective equipment, poor financing options, and enforcement approaches that do not always come with formalization support. It also argues that fragmented supply chains and dependence on middlemen keep many miners away from fair pricing and broader market access.

Citing Uganda’s Mining and Minerals Act 2022 as a useful legal foundation, the piece calls for practical measures such as tax incentives, training services, subsidized equipment, low-interest capital, and better market linkages for registered small-scale groups. The broader point is that regulation alone will not unlock the sector’s economic value without investment and structured support.

More generally, the argument reflects a wider debate in resource-rich countries about how to formalize artisanal mining while improving safety, environmental management and income opportunities. The article does not report a government decision, but it presses policymakers and development partners to give the sector the kind of backing often reserved for larger operators.