Kagaba Hill: Inside the Heart of Kassanda’s Booming Gold Economy

Gold has firmly established itself as Uganda’s leading primary export, making up over 76 percent of the country’s total exports in 2025. A significant driver of this booming mineral economy is Kagaba Hill, situated in Kassanda District about 185 kilometers from Kampala City.

Behind heavily guarded wooden enclosures at Kagaba Hill, thousands of artisanal miners spend their days digging, processing, and storing the precious metal. Many of these workers live right on-site in makeshift shelters constructed from simple timber, reflecting the rugged nature of daily operations at the mining hub.

Despite the immense economic value of the gold extracted from the hill, local communities have yet to see this mineral wealth translate into significantly improved living standards and infrastructure. The stark contrast between the high-value trade and the humble conditions of the miners highlights broader questions about how resource wealth impacts grassroots populations in Uganda’s growing mining sector.

Read the full story originally reported by Daily Monitor at Kagaba Hill: The heart of Kassanda’s gold economy.