Locals mining gold in Mubende. They have vowed to defy President Museveni’s directive to evict them.

Gold Artisanal miners in Mubende have petitioned Parliament protesting the President’s order evicting them from their land favoring the investor Gemstone mining company.

The petition follows an order by President Yoweri Museveni, who recently accepted the eviction of about 25000 artisan minors from five square kilometers so that the land can be given to an investor who is currently said to won about 207 square kilometers.

The group from affected areas led by the area their Members of Parliament who included that for  Bukeya County, Kasanda North MP, Patrick Nsamba and Buwekula County MP, Joseph Kakooza handed over the petition to the Speaker of Parliament, Rebecca Kadaga.

The Chairperson of Mubende Artisanal Miners, Robert Sempewo, pleaded with  Parliament to write to the President to reverse the earlier decision of evicting them from their land.

MPs from Mubende say that the President was misled by the Minister of State for Privatization, Evelyn Anite, and a Senior State House Official, Getrude Njuba, who introduced to him the investor of  Gamstone mining company .

The group accused Minister Anita of blocking them from accessing the president to hear their side before giving their land to the investor.

Kadaga, says that will forward the gold artisan miners petition to the President, adding that there should be a law regulating artisan miners so as are protected.