The County Executive Committee Member (CECM) for Environment, Peninah Mukabane, has asked Shanta Gold Limited to conduct civic education for communities in Ikolomani before embarking on large-scale gold mining.
Addressing the Media at Isulu, the CECM said that public participation has not been sufficiently done for the project which will have a massive impact on communities, some of whom will be relocated to pave the way for the company to begin groundwork.
She says at least 337 acres of land are needed by the company, decrying that Shanta Gold Limited did not provide the county government with a resettlement action plan that shows how people will be relocated, compensated and by how much.
The CECM also expressed concerns that since people live in the area and their children attend nearby schools, those to be relocated should be given a disturbance allowance.
Mukabane also noted that proper mechanisms should be put in place by Shanta Gold Limited to address the possibility of boreholes drying up due to extensive digging involved in the process of mining Gold.
“On behalf of the governor, I say the project should be halted first. Residents should be sensitized, and civic education should be done exhaustively so that they can be called for public participation,” the CECM added.
Mukabane noted that the company’s activities will affect more than 20,000 artisanal miners in Ikolomani who rely on small-scale mining to make a living, urging Shanta Gold Limited to come up with a plan to cushion them from the effects of its large-scale operations.
The Chairperson of the Kakamega County Miners Association, Patrick Ligami, asked the national government to hasten the issuance of mining permits to artisanal miners, which has been delayed despite them having met all the conditions and undergone all the required processes.
By Moses Wekesa and Selphine Katumanga
