The Turkana County government has raised concerns over the use of dangerous chemicals including explosives at various gold-mining sites in the region, thus compromising human safety.
Minerals and Energy chief officer Triza Amoni on Monday said the uncontrolled use of explosives and dangerous chemicals during mining, was putting human lives at risk.
Speaking to residents of Naduat, after inspecting a collapsed mining site, Amoni warned that stern action will be taken against culprits.
She at the same time asked the gold miners to prioritise safety in their operations, particularly in the use of explosives.
The chief officer together with a technical team visited Naduat after receiving reports alleging that miners used explosives to mine gold from the site, terming it very dangerous and life threatening.
She warned of severe consequences including potential ban, withdrawal of mining permits or both, for breaching safety compliance requirements.
The chief officer added that the county had invested in the mining sector to boost its productive potential through capacity building of miners on various key areas of concern.
"I expect those trained to apply the knowledge on safety precaution and transfer the same knowledge to other miners in the county,” she said.
Director for Mining Stanley Loter, said the exercise to weed out quacks and unscrupulous dealers in the sector had commenced following receipt of several complaints from the residents and stakeholders.
Loter said, "misuse of explosives could degrade the environment, expose residents to health hazards and affect sustainability prospects of the productive mining sites.”
Naduat mining site is renowned for gold and quarry stones that support the construction industry. It thus provides direct employment opportunities to many people, who in turn support the mining sector.
Assistant Chief for Naduat, Andrew Akolom, welcomed the call for adherence to safety, describing the warnings as well intentioned, to protect both the workforce and the surrounding environment from the inherent risks associated with misuse of explosives and banned chemicals.
During the inspection, the county’s technical team held discussions with members of the Naduat mine site leadership and later reached an agreement on the need for joint effort in enforcing safety compliance measures.