Two people died after a gold mine shaft collapsed at Sigalagala Village in Kakamega East Sub-County, Kakamega County.
The incident occurred on Monday, November 2, 2026, at around 3pm, trapping the two victims inside the mine.
The deceased have been identified as Kevin Muhatia, 25, and another person whose identity had not been established by the time of reporting.
Preliminary police investigations indicate that the two were attempting to reopen a gold mine shaft that had been abandoned for approximately three months when it suddenly caved in.
The victims are suspected to have died from suffocation due to a lack of oxygen while trapped underground.
Police officers who rushed to the scene retrieved the bodies, which were subsequently moved to St. Elizabeth Mukumu Mission Hospital mortuary for preservation pending further investigations.
Such incidents have been common at gold mine sites amid calls for caution to address the trend.
Most miners do not adhere to safety procedures for their operations.
And police in Soy Sub-County, Uasin Gishu County, launched investigations into the suspected murder of a 27-year-old man whose body was brought home for burial amid public outrage and suspicions that he may have been killed by family members.
The deceased, identified as John Kamau, reportedly died on Thursday, October 30, 2026. His body was brought to his family home in the Milimani area of Matunda Sub-Location on November 2, ahead of a planned burial the following day.
However, the burial plans were disrupted after members of the public became rowdy, alleging that the deceased had been killed by his relatives and that his body had been secretly taken to Wamalwa Kijana Referral Hospital.
Police confirmed the incident and processed and photographed the scene as part of preliminary investigations.
The body was subsequently recovered and transferred to Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH), where it is being preserved pending a postmortem examination to establish the cause of death.
Police investigations are ongoing.
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