Maate Isahaq | Tayari News
KASESE – As the world counts down to International Women’s Day, stories of resilience and courage continue to emerge from communities often left out of the spotlight. In Katwe-Kabatooro Town Council, Kasese District, a group of women salt miners at Lake Katwe are quietly transforming their lives and those of their families through one of the toughest and least celebrated trades.
For 22 years, Kyampaire Glorious has earned her living from the salty waters of Lake Katwe. Day after day, she reports to the salt pans, where raw salt is harvested after a painstaking process that begins long before the crystals appear.
“Before we even start mining, we prepare the salt pans, repair them, and wait for the sun to evaporate the water,” Kyampaire explains. “It takes time and energy, but we stay because this is our livelihood.”
She says women rarely go directly into the lake because of the harsh conditions and health risks. Instead, they work from the salt pans along the shore, where brine is trapped, evaporated and then harvested. Even then, the work remains dangerous.
“We lack basic protective gear like gumboots and gloves,” she adds. “Salt burns our feet and hands, but we have no choice. From this work, I have educated my six children and sustained my home.”
Despite their effort, Kyampaire and her colleagues find themselves at the mercy of brokers who dictate prices.
“The brokers cheat us,” she says. “They buy our salt at very low prices and then sell it expensively. We do the hardest part of the job, but earn the least.”
Another miner, Kisembo Glorete, has known no other life. She grew up in the salt pans, working alongside her mother instead of going to school.
“I started salt mining as a child,” Kisembo recalls. “I didn’t get an education, but through this work I have managed to build a house and educate my children so they can have a better future than mine.”
Still, the business is fraught with challenges. Kisembo says some customers take salt on credit and never pay back, leaving the miners trapped in debt and uncertainty. On top of that, unstable prices make planning nearly impossible.
“When prices fall, we lose a lot. Yet we must keep working because we depend on this,” she says.
Climate patterns have made matters worse. With the onset of the rainy season, water levels in Lake Katwe have risen, disrupting salt production.
“Since it started raining, the lake water has increased and it covers many of the salt pans,” Kisembo notes. “We produce less salt, and that means less income.”
According to Kikomira Rose Barozi, the chairperson of the salt traders, limited access to packaging and marketing materials is also holding them back.
“We are still using local, basic methods to pack our salt,” she says. “Without proper packaging and branding, we cannot attract bigger markets or better prices. That is why we remain local producers with low incomes.”
Kikomira believes that with support in value addition and marketing, Lake Katwe’s women salt miners could lift themselves out of poverty.
She is also calling for better health services to support the miners who suffer injuries and health complications related to prolonged exposure to the harsh, salty environment.
“We request the government to upgrade Katwe Health Centre III to Health Centre IV,” she says. “We need proper treatment for miners who get wounded, burned by salt, or suffer other health problems from this work.”
As International Women’s Day approaches, the women of Lake Katwe stand as a powerful reminder of the unseen labour sustaining families and communities across Uganda. With little protection, minimal equipment and limited market power, they continue to endure, educate their children and build homes.
