Kitui MP Nimrod Mbai on Friday said people would take up arms if necessary to block coal mining and prevent desecration of ancestors' tombs.
His opposition puts him sharply at odds with Governor Charity Ngilu who supports mining of coal, limestone and iron ore to enrich the county.
"We will not allow coal mining in Kitui East come rain or shine. We will do everything, even taking up arms, to stop coal mining in my area,” Mbai said.
He cited blocks A and B of the Mui Coal basin in his constituency and said he would not allow massive displacement of people fromMutitu and Zombe.
"That can only happen over my dead body. It would also be immoral to overturn the tombs and burial sites on our kin and ancestors to allow coal mining," the MP said.
He spoke to the media in Kitui in reaction to last Tuesday's assertion by Mining PS John Omenge that a contractor had been selected to start coal mining.
“The coal mining projects in blocks A and B are still on course. Soon we will hold a Benefit Sharing Agreement (BSA) like the one we held for blocks C and D to signal the kick off of mining,” Omenge said.
He was fielding questions from the media when he toured Mwingi North constituency. The PS held an information meeting with residents on mining huge deposits of limestone and iron ore. He was hosted by area MP Paul Nzengu.
Mining in blocks C and D never started, even after the BSA signing was done with a lot of fanfare in Mwingi town on December 23, 2013.
Since she became county boss, Kitui Governor Charity Ngilu has become a supporter of coal mining to uplift the people.
She was opposed to the plan when she was the MP for Kitui Central.
“Unless they want to face serious resistance, they must shelve the issue of coal mining for good," Mbai said.
The legislator expressed doubt whether residents and the country would benefit substantially.
“We are told the coal is worth Sh3.4 trillion, equivalent to Kenya’s annual budget. It is not worth disrupting lives through displacement for so little revenue,” he said.
Mbai said only a few well-off and influential people would benefit from mining at the expense of the masses.
