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The Nairobian

Several feared dead after goldmine collapses in Kakamega

Western

By Bernard Lusigi | Feb 04, 2025

Artisanal miners and locals at Tumaini Gold Mine in Museno Village, Shinyalu Constituency Kakamega, during a search and rescue mission after the walls of the mine collapsed on 20 people while excavating gold deposits on Jan 3, 2025. [Benard Lusigi, Standard]

Several artisanal miners are feared dead at the Tumaini gold mine site in Museno Village, Shinyalu Constituency, Kakamega County after the walls of the mine collapsed on Monday evening.

The search and rescue operations are ongoing, with eight people having been rescued and admitted to hospital for treatment.

Reports indicate 12 more miners are still trapped in the goldmine.

Shinyalu Sub-County Police Commander Daniel Mukubu said the mining site had 20 people who were excavating gold when its walls collapsed after they tampered with an unseen colonial tunnel that passes beneath the mine.

While calling on affected families to remain calm, Mukubu said rescue teams are putting in effort to salvage the situation.

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"20 people were doing the mining but eight have been rescued but 12 are still trapped in the mine and efforts are underway to rescue them. We are collaborating with the police, Red Cross and the community to save the lives of the remaining people," said Mukubu.

Mukubu said the nature of the place is a challenge to the rescue mission considering it is a weak and sloppy place that does not allow the use of machinery.

"The terrain of the place has made it difficult for the use of machinery and we are forced to go manual in rescuing those trapped inside the mines because if we apply the use of machines we risk creating more troubles," said Mukubu.

National Vice-Chairman of Artisanal Miners Fredrick Ligami said they have put in place efforts to save the remaining 12 people.

"We are collaborating as stakeholders, County and national government and Red Cross to save the trapped miners and prevent more calamities," said Ligami.

Ligami called for speed registration and certification of artisanal small-scale farmers to get the required assistance.

"We need to speed the issuance of permits to our miners to get requisite equipment for safe mining from the government and investors," said Ligami.

Patrick Makhule in-charge of the Western Region Resilience mining team said the collapse of the mining site was occasioned by a colonial tunnel that was constructed a long time ago.

"This was just an accident because the miners had no information about the tunnel and when the miners unknowingly tampered with the tunnel it is when the walls of the mine collapsed," said Makhule.

Mukhule said a good number of gold mines in the region are safe while calling for sensitisation of artisanal miners for safer mining.

"We need to sensitize and create awareness to our small-scale artisanal miners on the safety of gold mining," said Mukhule.

A week ago, Cabinet Secretary for Mining Ali Joho while in Kakamega County called for a collaboration between the national government and county governments to get rid of illegal miners to streamline the sector to avoid perennial accidents in gold mines.

Kakamega County has at least 8,000 artisanal miners operating without licenses.

Last year eight miners were trapped in an artisanal gold mine that collapsed in Abimbo, Siaya County.

Six miners were rescued and one succumbed.

In October 2021, two fatalities and several injuries were reported at the Copper Hill mine in Nyatike, Migori County.

Additionally, another accident was reported at a mine in Ikolomani, Kakamega County, where five miners died while several others escaped with serious injuries.

According to reports by United Nations Development Program (UNDP) at least 250,000 people are directly employed in artisanal gold mines while more than one million people depend on the sector for their livelihoods.

Some miners are proud entrepreneurs while many others have no other alternatives.

Additionally, UNDP states that deaths in artisanal mines are characterised by poorly developed underground workings due to the informal nature of the activity.