Artisanal miners seek equal footing February 10, 2021 Gold mining in Bugiri Artisanal and small-scale miners (ASMs) have called for equal treatment in the mining industry in Uganda, citing lack of enough support form the government. The call came as many artisanal miners complained of being bumped off exploration areas, and also being ignored during policy formulations. A recent study by the ministry of Energy and Mineral Development and UNDP revealed that artisanal and small-scale miners in Uganda are estimated to be around 500,000 and they are responsible for over 90 per cent of the entire mineral production in the country, hence the need to treat them fairly.