At least five people were killed after a mining site collapsed at the Hillo mine in Dabel, Marsabit County.
Officials attributed the incident on Friday May 24 to a landslide.
Search and rescue efforts went on to the night at the mining site with locals saying more miners were still trapped underneath the rubble. No more body was found Saturday.
Marsabit County Police Commander Patrick Mwakio said the miners died on the spot after the mine debris covered them while they were conducting illegal gold mining.
This is despite a government order prohibiting mining activities, mwakio said the miners had infiltrated the mines.
“The miners ignored the government’s directive and ventured into the mine, which had been classified as a disturbed area,” said Mwakio.
The Hilo Gold mine, situated near the Kenya-Ethiopia border in Dabel, has been a focal point for gold mining activities, attracting numerous youths seeking to earn a living through gold scavenging.
However, due to safety and security concerns, Mwakio noted the government ordered the closure of the mine on March 14, 2024.
Despite the closure, it appears that some miners continued their operations illegally, leading to this unfortunate incident.
The Hillo mining field is the same one closed by Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki in March this year after deadly clashes between communities over mining rights.
The clashes left at least seven people dead.
Locals claimed security officials have been allowing mining to carry and collecting bribes from locals, despite the government shutting it down.
Kindiki visited the area in March and ordered the closure of gold mining sites in Marsabit.
Kindiki flew to Dabel Artisinal Mining Sites within Golbo Division of Marsabit County and announced measures to arrest the escalation of violence and other criminal activities in the area.
The area had been rife with armed criminals facilitating trade in narcotic drugs, while seven people including two aliens were killed this week in gang rivalries among the illegal artisan miners on site.
Cases of rape, defilement and gender-based violence have been booked, Kindiki said.
Kindiki said a special team from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has taken over investigations to identify and apprehend the offenders.
He also said effective 0630 hours, March 14 2024, the Dabel Artisinal Mining Sites described in Gazette Notice No.3032 of even date, had been declared dangerous and disturbed and vacation orders issued for 30 days.
This meant the site had been closed.
“Pursuant to Section 8(1) of the Public Order Act, Cap 56 of the Laws of Kenya, and Section 106(1) of the National Police Service Act, no person may be found present in the areas specified in the Gazette Notice at any time without the written authority of the County Police Commander, Marsabit County,” he said.
As such, he added, the gazetted areas remain under the domination of national security agencies and no access to, or activity of any nature whatsoever is permitted in the said areas during the pendency of the orders herein.
The site is among many discovered where residents venture to make a living.
Officials however say the tunnels where the miners venture are unsafe for their operations.
The officials said the miners were using heavy machines to crush stones in their artisanal activities, overlooking the environmental impact.
As part of efforts to address the menace, government officials have always directed those involved in mining activities to stop operations for the National Environmental Management Authority to conduct an environmental impact assessment to give the ecological guidelines before mining operations can resume.
Nema officials were directed to carry out the environmental impact assessment and give reports at the sites as part of efforts to address the safety measures.
The gold miners are also ordered to seek licenses from all the relevant government authorities before embarking on the work.
They have been told to stop using heavy machinery at the sites.
These machineries make the sites weak and unsafe for the miners.
The majority of the gold mining activities are done by small and medium enterprise miners who have been exposed to unsafe practices in the mining extraction processes.
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