State cracks whip on the illegal Hillo gold mines in Marsabit

The Kenyan government has closed the Dabel Artisanal Mining sites indefinitely following the fiercest skirmishes that saw the killing of seven miners.

The Cabinet Secretary for Interior and National Administration Kithure Kindiki on Thursday issued a gazette notice about the indefinite closure of all mining activities in the Hillo area in the Dabel Location of Golbo Division, Moyale sub-county.

Read: State sets up special police unit to combat illegal mining

The closure was informed by the killing of five Kenyans and two aliens from Ethiopia following the eruption of conflicts among the miners in the area on Monday.

“Effective 0630 hours today, March 14, 2024, the Dabel Artisanal Mining Sites described in Gazette Notice No.3032 of even date, have been declared dangerous and disturbed and vacation orders issued,” the Gazette Notice read.

According to the Gazette Notice dated March 14, 2024, seen by Business Daily, the order affects all the mining areas in the Dabel Artisanal Minings including Hillo Gorgora, Hillo Orofa, Hillo Walkite, Hillo Tanzania, Hillo Irres Abamartille, Hillo Gootu, Hillo Tessum Qalicha and Hillo Karray.

Other sites also affected include Hillo Hudda, Hillo Qoranjido, Hillo Irres Shidia, HilloRabaalee, and Hillo Godde Haroressa.

Mr Kindiki sternly warned civilians against accessing the restricted mining sites for 30 days until the ban was lifted or withdrawn by his Ministry.

The latest move by the government was informed by the recent visit to the artisanal mining sites by the Marsabit county security and intelligence team led by County Commissioner Norbert Komora and County Police Commander Nyambu Mwakio on Tuesday and Wednesday.

According to the county commissioner, the illegal mining that has been going on within the artisanal mining sites posed a serious security threat to state security.

Mr Komora blamed the recent killings on the deeply rooted tribal animosity that had characterised the relations among the miners within the sites.

He revealed that the killings were caused after the discovery of lucrative gold that was fiercely contested by two rival ethnic groups within the sites.

He cited grave environmental, health, and security risks posed by the ongoing illegal mining activities carried out in the region for almost two years now.

The mining activities were yet to be institutionalised and led to the loss of massive revenue to the Marsabit county government and even the State.

Residents of the Dabel Division in the Moyale sub-county, a week before the recent incidents, warned about the impending security threats posed by the illegal mining activities and demanded the Kenyan government expedite the closure of gold mines in the area.

While speaking to the Business Daily on the phone the Sakuye community spokesperson Hassan Tepo, on behalf of the community cited serious dangers posed by the ongoing mining activities in the region.

He claimed that at least 50kg of gold mined from Illo, Rabala, and Otte mine wells daily ended up being smuggled by illegal immigrants and foreigners to Dubai via neighbouring Ethiopia.

Mr Tepo held that only one mine pit recently produced 165kg of gold that was sold to foreigners.

Read: Nema blames Homa Bay county for illegal mining activities

He was concerned that the mining activities in the area were not yet institutionalised and led to the loss of massive revenue to the Marsabit county government, even the state, or even the host Sakuye community.

→ (email protected)