Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi has urged all miners to always prioritise their safety even as they go about their duties.
In a statement after 12 miners were trapped in a gold mine in Shinyalu, Kakamega county, Mudavadi insisted that their lives were precious and nothing is greater than ensuring their wellbeing.
“To all miners, I urge you to prioritise safety and exercise utmost caution in your operations. Your lives are invaluable, and no measure is too great when it comes to ensuring your well-being,” he said.
The Prime CS, however, noted that it was a relief that most of them had been rescued at the time of his remarks.
He called on rescue teams to make all efforts to ensure those that remain trapped are saved.
“The news of at least 12 miners trapped in a gold mine in Shinyalu, Kakamega is deeply distressing. I call upon the rescue teams to exhaust every possible effort to bring those still underground to safety.
“While it’s a relief to hear that eight miners have been successfully rescued, my thoughts remain with those still in danger and their families.”
The walls of the mineshaft are said to have collapsed at around 6 pm Monday leaving 20 miners who were inside excavating trapped.
A multi-agency team from the Kenya Red Cross, county disaster, the police and the local community managed to rescue eight of them immediately after the incident occurred.
Those rescued, police said, had no injuries.
Shinyalu subcounty police commander Daniel Makumbu told the press that the search and rescue operations are ongoing until all the miners are accounted for.
This is as he urged residents to exercise caution around the collapsed area.
“The area around the collapsed shaft is risky and we are not going to allow people to mill near it because we do not want more casualties,” he said.
There were hopes that those trapped could still be found alive, despite the significant risks involved in the rescue efforts.
Kakamega is known to have abundant gold deposits, making it a hotspot for artisanal miners looking to earn a living.
The risks involved have, however, caused deaths in the recent past.
