Mui coal belt residents ask Ruto to shelve mining for good

Residents of the coal-rich Mui basin in Kitui county want the government to clarify whether it had shelved plans to mine the 400 million-ton deposits of the mineral.

On Friday, residents travelled many kilometres to Kitui town county  headquarters to present to Governor Julius Malombe a petition titled, “Death certificate for coal.”

Although the coal area residents who were mobilised by the Centre for Human Rights and Civic Education NGO found Governor Malombe absent, they presented their petition to the chief officer for environment, David Soi Masai.

The executive director for CHRCE, Peter Mutemi, told  the media after presenting  the petition that, the Mui coal belt residents had taken a strong stand that the government should bury the plans to mine coal as it is hazardous.

“We wanted to meet Governor Malombe and give him the message to President William Ruto that the people of Mui coal basin are totally opposed to coal mining,” said Mutemi.

He said the residents of Mui coal belt live a life of anxiety and uncertainty as President Ruto had openly adopted double-speak on the matter of coal mining.

“Internationally, the President is advocating for the adoption of clean energy  while  back at home he talks about coal mining in Mui while we all know it is a dirty and poisonous source of energy.

“This  double-speak is worrying and the reason for the petition to Malombe to take our message to our President so that the coal mining issue  can become as dead as a dodo,” said Mutemi.

Mutemi said  the Mui coal belt residents were in solidarity with the rest  of the world through the 350.0rg banner in opposing coal mining  in favour of renewable, clean and sustainable energy like solar and wind energy.

As they headed to the Kitui county headquarters,  the Mui basin residents moved  in a peaceful march carrying banners, flyers  and placards  denouncing coal mining.

As he received the petition Masai  who was in company of the Kitui county chief of staff Khalid Ashur said that Malombe was keen to ensure Kitui people lived in a secure and clean environment.

He said  that he would deliver the petition to the governor and  was optimistic that  he would act positively on it.

A concession for coal mining  in Blocks C and D  of the Mui coal belt was awarded to the Chinese Fenxi mining company in 2013,  but mining has been in a limbo due to unexplained circumstances.

The coal mining has been dogged by opposition both locally and  internationally after it was termed to be a harmful source of energy.

Human rights organisations and Mwingi Central MP Gideon Mulyungi who has part of his constituency in the Mui coal belt have not made  secret their opposition to coal mining.

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