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Rubanda, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Five private security guards have been arrested for allegedly attempting to shoot at State Minister for Minerals, Phiona Nyamutoro. The minister was accompanied by Agnes Alaba , the Acting Commissioner for mines and mineral. The incident reportedly happened at Butare, Katojo town council, Rubanda district on Thursday.
The Minister and the mineral officials had gone to inspect an iron ore mines in Butare belonging to National Cement Company limited, a subsidiary of the Devki Group of companies.
Officials had spent the whole of Wednesday in a consultative meeting with miners from Kigezi region at White Horse Inn Kabale in Kabale district holding a consultative meeting about the ongoing biometric registration of artisanal miners across the country.
However, on arriving at the mines on Thursday, officials were treated with a cold welcome by four private security guards who were guarding miners.
Security guards blocked officials from accessing the mines to the extent of cocking their guns ready to shoot.
The Minster and her team was reportedly saved her police body guards who quickly moved in to disarm and arrest the guards before they would harm their principals.
When contacted, Alaba confirmed the development saying that all officials are safe. She however declined to add more and referred our reporter to the ministry’s communication officer for details.
Minister Nyamutooro was also seen wondering how the security guards attempted to shoot at them yet the mining activity is illegal.
She was also seen ordering for immediate closure of the mines until further notice.
Elly Maate police spokesperson for Kigezi region confirms that the security guards are being held at Rubanda police station as investigations into the matter continue.
Maate also says that thesecurity guards were armed with three Sub Machine Guns (SMG). The case is registered at Rubanda police station under file number SD 25/20/06/2024.
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