Two miners were killed in separate incidents as they ventured into gold mining sites in Siaya County on Monday.
The first incident
happened when a 24-year-old man was killed after a goldmine collapsed in
Masumbi village, Kogelo, Siaya County.
The man was among a
group of miners who had ventured into the mining site when the incident
occurred on the morning of August 11.
He was identified as
Stephen Rabwogi, 24. The other miners managed to escape the trap as the loose soil collapsed on them, police and witnesses said.
The body was later
retrieved and moved to the mortuary pending autopsy and investigations.
In Bondo, Siaya
County, another miner was buried alive at a site in the Uyawi area.
Police said John Opiyo, 50, was killed after he and another man ventured into a gold mining site on Monday.
The walls of the site collapsed, trapping the man while his colleague
managed to escape.
The body was later
retrieved and moved to the mortuary pending autopsy.
Such incidents have
been rampant in the area amid calls for safety measures to mitigate the trend.
Almost ten people are
killed monthly in gold mining sites in the region. Officials have been carrying
out safety campaigns among the locals in vain. Some miners defy orders not to
venture into the sites and go there at night, officials say.
The government has
established a specialised police unit to focus on the sector as part of its efforts to
address its challenges.
The unit is among
others supposed to ensure compliance with regulations in the sector, which is
ruled illegal mining.
The Ministry of
Mining, Blue Economy, and Maritime Affairs unveiled an investigative branch
within the Mining Police Unit under the ministry to curb illegal exploration
and mining of minerals across Kenya.
Officials highlighted key mining hotspots across Kenya, such as
Migori, Kakamega, Transmara, Nandi, West Pokot, Taita Taveta, Marsabit, Isiolo,
and the Dabel area in northern Kenya, which is currently experiencing a gold
rush.
The area has experienced deaths and injuries to miners who venture there, hence the move to regulate them.
