Government Reopens Kassanda Gold Exploration Site After Four-Month Suspension

What the report says

The Ugandan government has reopened the Mugobwa Katuugo Gold Exploration Site in Kassanda District, ending a four-month suspension that had stopped thousands of artisanal prospectors from working there. According to Nile Post, more than 3,000 prospectors were told on Wednesday, August 5, 2026, that they could return to the site after officials from the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development and the Mineral Protection Police communicated the decision.

The site had been closed on April 11, 2026, after authorities said exploration was taking place without the required licences. Under the new arrangement, prospectors have been given a 12-month grace period to finish the legal and administrative steps needed to formalise their operations. Site leaders, including Fulugye Mukasa, said most of the requirements had already been met and urged miners to join recognised associations and follow government rules.

Mineral Protection Police officer SSP Fred Kidima praised prospectors for remaining peaceful during the shutdown and warned that non-compliance could lead to another suspension. The reopening is significant because many local families depend on the site for income, and prospectors told Nile Post that the closure had affected school fees and household needs. More broadly, the move reflects the government’s effort to balance livelihood concerns with regulation of small-scale mining.