news 23 March 2026 Daily Monitor (Uganda)
Tragic Collapse at Kaabong Gold Mine Claims Lives of Three Miners, Including 15-Year-Old Boy
A landslide at an informal gold mining site in Kaabong District buried three artisanal miners aged 15 to 25, highlighting ongoing safety risks in unregulated operations across Uganda's Karamoja region. One survivor escaped and is under medical care as authorities investigate. Source: https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/boy-15-among-three-killed-in-kaabong-goldmine-collapse-5399984
Three artisanal miners lost their lives when a tunnel collapsed at a gold site in Sokodu village, Morulem parish, Kaabong East Sub County, on March 22, 2026. The victims were identified as Lopetok Modo (25), Chills Loknoi (18), and Nauru Nangiro (15), buried alive by loose soil triggered by a landslide.
Police spokesperson for Mt Moroto, Mike Longole, confirmed that one miner escaped the incident and is receiving treatment at Kaabong General Hospital. Officers quickly secured the area and launched an investigation into the accident.
This event underscores persistent dangers at ungazetted mining sites, where informal operations lack safety protocols. Longole called on local leaders to regulate activities and promote community awareness on risks.
Kaabong LC5 chairperson Jino Meri noted that artisanal mining is a vital income source for locals amid poverty, but enforcement is challenging as miners constantly shift locations chasing gold deposits.
Such tragedies are common in Uganda, driven by poverty in areas like Karamoja, where 74.2% live below the poverty line. Artisanal mining offers low daily earnings of under Shs12,000 using basic tools, yet claims lives through collapses, especially during rains. Recent incidents include five deaths in Bushenyi in February 2026 and one in Kassanda in December 2025.
Studies indicate up to 30% of workers in these sites are children facing hazardous conditions for minimal pay.
Source: Daily Monitor (Uganda)