The County Government has asked the gold miners at Naduat, Nakalale Ward in Turkana North, to prioritize safety in their operations, particularly in the use of explosives.

Speaking to residents of Naduat over the weekend, after inspecting a collapsed mine site, the Chief Officer for the Department of Minerals, Energy and Petroleum, Triza Amoni, expressed concern over the uncontrolled use of explosives and dangerous chemicals used during mining, noting that stern action will be taken against culprits.

The Chief and the technical team visited Naduat after receiving reports alleging that miners used explosives to mine gold from the site, terming it very dangerous and life-risking.

She warned of severe consequences including potential ban, withdrawal of mining permits, or both, for breaching safety compliance requirements.

The CCO added that the County had invested in the mining sector to boost its productive potential through capacity building of miners in various key areas of concern.

“I expect those trained to apply the knowledge on safety precautions and transfer the same knowledge to other miners in the County,” Triza stressed.

On the same note, the Director for Mining Stanley Loter echoed the Chief Officer‘s sentiment, adding that the exercise to weed out quacks and unscrupulous dealers in the sector had commenced following the receipt of several complaints from the residents and stakeholders.

Loter emphasized,” misuse of explosives could degrade the environment, expose residents to health hazards, and affect sustainability prospects of the productive mining sites.”

Despite this, the Naduat mining site is renowned for gold and quarry stones that support the construction industry.

It thus provides direct employment opportunities to many people, who in turn support the mining sector.

Therefore, a concern for site safety is a public concern that calls for collective responsibility.

Assistant Chief for Naduat, Andrew Akolom welcomed the call for adherence to safety, describing the warnings as well-intentioned, to protect both the workforce and the surrounding environment from the inherent risks associated with the misuse of explosives and banned chemicals.

During the inspection, the County’s technical team held discussions with members of the Naduat mine site leadership and later reached an agreement on the need for joint effort in enforcing safety compliance measures.