By: Chioma Madonna Ndukwu
A gold mine in western Kenya partially collapsed late Monday, trapping a dozen miners. “The information we have is that there were around 20 miners at the time it collapsed, but eight have been rescued,” said Daniel Makumbu, the county police commander in Kakamega.
Authorities have initiated a search and rescue operation, urging the crowd to keep a safe distance. “We are urging the crowd to stay away to make the work easier and avoid endangering themselves because this area is very fragile,” he added.
Despite Kenya’s small mining sector, which saw gold mining contribute $224 million to the economy in 2022, the industry faces significant challenges.
Much of it is unregulated, with miners exposed to unsafe conditions and criminal activity. This incident follows a similar tragedy in May 2024, when a mine collapse near the Ethiopian border killed five people
