A 38-year-old security
guard drowned as he fetched water from a pool of water at a quarry in Ongata
Rongai, Kajiado County.
Police said the incident
happened at an abandoned quarry within the Balozi area of Olooltepes
sub-location.
John Madahana who was a
security guard working with a firm based on Ngong Road had gone to the open
quarry to fetch water to irrigate his vegetables.
Witnesses said he
accidentally slid into the water and drowned.
Locals with the
assistance of Kenya Red Cross officials managed to retrieve the body.
Locals said the victim
has been fetching water from the quarry to water his vegetables at a small farm
he runs in the area.
Police said they are investigating the incident with the aim of taking action.
The body was moved to the Kajiado sub-county mortuary Rongai awaiting postmortem.
This comes in the wake of a crackdown on those responsible for abandoned quarries in the country.
These quarries have led to the death of dozens of people.
This has prompted authorities
to address the menace legally.
A team of up to 100 police officers has been trained and deployed to the newly launched Mining Police Unit.
The team will among others target quarries, sand harvesting sites and mining sites to check on compliance with the law.
Mining, Blue Economy and Maritime Affairs Cabinet Secretary Ali Hassan Joho launched the unit and declared illegal mining a transnational crime.
He said quarries have become death traps for many as those behind the activities there abandon them without ensuring they take safety precautions as required by the law.
“When one is done with excavating building stones, sand or any other mineral he or she is supposed to refill the sites. We have open quarries which are now death traps for many and this has to be addressed,” he said.
Some of the quarries are now filled with water, which has led to drowning incidents while others are dumping sites for various products including human bodies.
In April last year, the government deployed a special police unit to tackle widespread illegal exploration and mining of minerals.
The team in the unit has been undergoing necessary training to prepare them for action.
The Mining Police Unit is mandated to pursue miners, prospectors, and dealers violating the industry law and regulations.
Illegal exploration, exploitation, and dealing in minerals are penalized through a fine of up to Sh10 million or a jail term of two years or both under the Mining Act 2016.
