A London listed explorer Shanta Gold has been asked to stop its operations in Kakamega county after discovering deposits of high-grade gold.
Speaking at an event on Saturday, October 7, Kakamega Governor Fernandes Barasa asked the company to pack their equipment and leave the county.
According to Barasa, the company had asked residents of Ikolomani, where the deposits were discovered, to leave their land without any resettlement plan.
Shanta Gold has been engaging in exploration activities in Kakamega for the past 15 years and had just announced they found their first gold deposits in the area.
“This is a message to Shanta Gold, pack your belongings and go. There is no way you will come here and tell the residents to vacate their land without consulting the county government or the leadership of Ikolomani,” Barasa stated.
Other Grievances About the Explorer
At the same time, Barasa lamented that the people of Ikolomani would lose their sources of income if the county government allowed the explorer to mine gold in the area.
Additionally, he stated that the company intended to mine gold from the region and transport it to a gold refinery in Siaya County. A move he noted would benefit others instead of the locals.
“I know that the youth from Ikolomani depend on gold mining. But there is a company called Shanta Gold who have been here for over 15 years doing exploration of gold,” the governor stated.
“The other day they released a report stating that we have some gold deposits here in Ikolomani but they want to take it to a factory that is doing gold processing in Siaya. That is something we have decided to oppose as the people of Kakamega,” added Barasa.
Also Read: Govt’ Shuts Down 3,000 Mining Companies
Further the Kakamega governor argued that the company had been issued with an exploration license but did not have a mining license.
Recent Reports of Gold Discovery in Kenya
In March 2023, a UK-based gold mining company Caracal Gold PLC revealed that it had discovered gold worth Ksh741 million at Kilimapesa Hill in Narok.
Caracal Gold PLC Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Robbie McCrae stated that the gold discovered was a new high-grade that would expand their shares by 23% adding that they expected to find more of the high-grade gold deposit and expand their activities at the mine.
“The potential size of this high-grade zone is encouraging and is further confirmation and validation of our understanding of the Kilimapesa Hill deposit and our development strategy,” stated the CEO.
Also Read: MP Pushes for Hefty Fines of Up to Ksh10M After Migori Gold Rush
Govt Shuts Down Mining Company
Mining Cabinet Secretary Salim Mvurya on October 4, ordered for the shutdown of 3,000 companies including illegal miners and mineral dealers.
CS Mvurya said there will be an engagement forum to discuss how the business can operate like any other in the country within the legal framework.
“We resolved yesterday that mineral smuggling is an economic crime and will be punishable as per the laws of our country,” he said.
