At least seven Chinese nationals were Wednesday arrested in a police operation at an alleged illegal gold mine.
The seven were found at a mining site in the Sigor area, Wdest Pokot
during an operation staged by the Mining Police Unit.
Unit Commander Fatuma Hadi confirmed the arrests and revealed the
suspects would be presented at a Kapenguria court ahead of planned deportation.
“They are illegally operating a mining site in Sigor, West Pokot.
We have intensified operations on the sites in the country to ensure we get
proper returns."
"The sites must also be compliant,” she said.
The unit has been visiting various mining sites in the country to
check on compliance.
Local leaders had last year called on the government to end
illegal gold mining within the county, emphasising the need for proper
documentation and adherence to the Mining Act.
Led by Member of Parliament for Sigor
constituency Peter Lochakapong, the leaders voiced concerns saying
mining operations must be properly licensed and should not involve machinery
for commercial purposes unless authorised.
Lochakapong clarified that while traditional
methods of mineral extraction are acceptable for local communities, commercial
mining, especially using machinery, is not permitted without the necessary
legal permits.
Dozens of people are killed annually at gold
mine sites in a worrying trend.
The latest happened in Homa Bay on February 10 where four miners
were killed after venturing into a 900-foot deep hole for gold deposits.
The incidents have prompted the government to establish a special
unit to focus on the activities at the sites.
The Mining Police Unit is among others supposed to ensure those
managing the sites adhere to safety rules for the miners and other users.
The Mining Police Unit is mandated to pursue miners, prospectors,
and dealers violating the industry law and regulations.
Some of these accidents have been attributed to the unsafe use of heavy machines to crush stones in artisanal activities, overlooking the environmental impact.
The machineries make the sites weak and unsafe for the miners, according to
officials.
Others say lack of protective gear for the miners when they
venture there exposes them to the dangers.
They are supposed to carry among others oxygen cylinders for use
while scavenging for minerals.
The miners also at times use weak materials in their mission, which collapse in the process leading to the deaths.
Legal artisanal and small-scale mining contributed at least Sh30
billion to the economy in 2023, representing over half of the country's mining
output.
To deal with some of these challenges, the government has also
directed those involved in mining activities to stop operations for the
National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA) to conduct an environmental
impact assessment to give the ecological guidelines before mining operations
can resume.
Apart from Hom Bay, there are gold deposits in Kakamega, Vihiga,
Migori, West Pokot, Moyale in Marsabit, Isiolo, Transmara and Nandi.
Kenya's mineral deposits include gold, copper, silver, lead, talc,
titanium manganese zine nickel,
A series of progressive reforms were instituted to streamline the sector, including shutting down 3,000 illegal entities, conducting a countrywide mineral geo-survey, establishing a formula for sharing earnings and declaring mineral smuggling an economic crime.
