As risky and crude as the artisan mining seemed, this was the only way the mining sector got income directly into people’s pockets. But with the attention on the potential of the mining sector closely in the sights of the government, this was change embedded in the policy. “The government is to organize, licensed, regulate all artisans and t

ansform them into viable and sustainable mining entities. The Artisans will be for Uganda citizens not for foreigners.” Said, Edwards Kato – Director Minerals and Development.

Along with this came the Mineral Protection Police that would deal with the so-called illegal miners. This was during this year’s two-day Mineral Conference in Kampala. “We are trying to introduce competitive licensing for brownfields. Brownfield, here I mean; these are the areas which we already have no geological information, instead we need to move away from this business of locating mineral rights in none competitive system of where we are saying; first, come, and first served. Those are the people who have pocket less trousers and we give them licenses which have been encouraging a lot of speculation.” In no uncertain terms, the government’s warning to any investor was that when they didn’t have money,they shouldn’t waste the government’s time.