Gold in Busia was first discovered by the artisanal miners in 1915 but was officially documented in 1932 by Sir Edward James Wayland the first Commissioner of Geological Survey of Uganda. In his findings, he confirmed that the gold was found in the Archaean greenstone belt of south eastern Uganda which extends into south western Kenya and north eastern Tanzania and forms part of the Tanzanian craton. That moment sparked a legacy. Over the years, private companies uncovered more deposits in Alupe and Budama. Intensive mineral exploration revealed gold-bearing quartz veins named Bauerle’s Burren Reef and Bush Reef.

In 1990, recognizing the district’s extraordinary gold potential, the Government of Uganda partnered with BRGM of France (Bureau de recherches géologues et minières) for an extensive exploration programme. This confirmed the presence of gold in Tira, Amonikakinei, Masaba Buinja, and Eseka hosted in the auriferous quartz veins in basic metavolcanic facies and another by the Banded Iron Formations (BIF) where gold may be disseminated and/or occur in sulphide-bearing quartz veinlets.