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The Nairobian

Locals protest against gold leaching plant

Nyanza

By Isaiah Gwengi | Feb 13, 2025

**Dorothy Malowa, a resident of Kamkwaya village in Bondo sub-county protest against the establishment of a gold leaching plant in the area.** [Isaiah Gwengi, Standard]

Residents of Kamkwaya and Kamnyiri villages in Bondo sub-county are up in arms following the establishment of a gold leaching plant in the area.

The residents, who held peaceful demonstrations on Wednesday, said the plant is likely to cause serious effects on the environment.

Speaking to The Standard, the residents, who accused the investor and the authorities of not seeking their opinion before establishing the plant, vowed to stop the project.

“We have information that the investor plans to use some heavy chemicals like cyanide to leach and this will be dangerous to us, especially women,” said Rosemary Adhiambo, a resident.

Adhiambo, who said that they have no information about the investor, argued that the community must be involved before any activity takes place in the area.

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Another resident, Dorothy Malowa, said the geography of the area is very dangerous with such an activity.

“We have streams and the lake here and the chemicals are likely to flow down. It will be disastrous to human lives, our animals and even our crops,” said Malowa.

Malowa, who was married in the village in 1982, warned that if urgent action is not taken to stop the planned operations of the company, the community is at risk of losing a generation.

Ayub Weke, a youth, who expressed his disappointment with the local authorities, said there is a need to protect the environment for prosperity.

“We might not be able to see the effects of what is being done here today, but in the next five years, it will be disastrous,” said Weke.

A 58-year-old Paul Odundo said the unregulated gold mining activities in the area pose great risk to the community’s heritage.

“We have Akado where our animals always lick salt and when we allow chemicals to flow into the area, we will have no animals left,” said Odundo, adding that indigenous trees which are used as medicine by the locals are also at risk of extinction.

Yesterday, human rights groups called on the National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA) to conduct public participation with the local community.

“Let the right procedures be followed before such kind of activities are conducted in an area,” said Chris Owalla, director of Community Initiative Action Group (CIAG-Kenya).