Taita-Taveta County is known for various types of minerals, but lack of proper equipment to mine them has turned the activity into a death trap, with dozens of people reportedly killed and others injured in the recent past.
Unsafe practices and non-implementation of regulations in the mining sector in the county have continued to claim lives, with those still in the mines trying to eke out a living while risking their lives.
In the latest incident, on Wednesday this week, one person died and four others were injured when a mine pit collapsed at Chawia Community Based Organisation (CBO) in Mkuki area, Mwatate.
There were 15 people in the mine at the time of the accident. Fortunately, 10 of them escaped unhurt. The mine has several tunnels.
The injured miners were taken to the Moi County Referral Hospital in Voi for treatment, while the body of the deceased was taken to the hospital mortuary.
Chawia CBO chairman Stephen Mwadime said the incident was caused by the wetness of the sand which made the walls of the pit unstable.
He said this was the first time such an accident had happened at the site as they usually inspect the pits regularly and reinforce them with wood.
"We ensure that the site is secure. We do timbering, which involves reinforcing the roof of the pits," he said.
He added that most of the pits had been left unattended as people had taken a break for the festive season.
To prevent such incidents, the government closed all mining activities in Mwatate in November last year due to heavy rains that posed a risk of flooding and landslides.
The closure of the mines came after three artisanal miners died in the Kamtonga area after their mine was flooded. The victims were working at night when heavy rains caused the flooding and filled their gemstone pit.
Mwatate Deputy Commissioner Margaret Njoki said they were working with both the Ministry of Mines and the National Environment Management Authority (Nema) to ensure that artisanal miners comply with rules and regulations to prevent such accidents.
She said pit cave-ins were common in artisanal mining areas due to lack of proper equipment, safety measures and environmental standards.
"We are working with the other relevant departments to ensure that the mining activities are done in a safe, legal, and environmentally friendly manner. This will also ensure that mining inspectors are deployed to monitor and enforce the mining laws and regulations," she said.
Artisanal mining is an important source of income for many people in Taita Taveta County, which is rich in gemstones including Tsavorites, rubies, sapphires, garnets and tourmalines.
In Chawia CBO alone, over 2,500 artisanal miners depend on gemstone mining for their livelihoods. However, there are many challenges associated with gemstone mining, including environmental degradation and health hazards. Artisanal miners face a range of risks, including exposure to dust, noise, chemicals, mercury and accidents.
In July this year, the government launched a gemstone value addition centre to provide miners with value addition services, skills and market linkages.
