Address the security concerns at Karebe Mining, urges British envoy Jane Marriot

British High Commissioner to Kenya Jane Marriot has raised concern over the controversy facing Karebe Gold Mining Company in Nandi.

Ms Marriot urged Governor Stephen Sang to look into the security concerns in the minefields.

This follows the death last week of three Karebe Gold Mining workers in a blast at a mining site, exposing bitter rivalry in the gold fields. Six other people were injured in the incident.

“We hope you will find a way forward on the Karebe Gold Mining. The security and stability of the region and the people are very important to us,” said Ms Marriot during a meeting with Governor Sang at his office in Kapsabet yesterday.

Karebe Gold mines is among the largest in the country and is managed by a Kenyan of British ancestry. 

Tension had been brewing between Karebe and Nandi/Chemase Company over gold mining rights on the Nandi escarpment in Tinderet constituency since 2019 when the former fell out with a land owner who had leased a parcel for mining gold.

Last Monday, three miners —Geoffrey Onyango, Julius Kipchumba and Geoffrey Rotich — died after a tunnel they were extracting gold from caved in on them in an early evening tragedy. 

It is alleged that miners from the rival company set up explosives and detonated them when more than 40 Karebe Mining workers were extracting gold in a tunnel at the location identified as ‘Level 3’.

In a statement soon after the incident, Karebe Mining said the three were killed when a wall that was built to prevent the mine from flooding and illegal incursion was blasted by miners from the rival group. 

Ms Marriot, who is on a tour of some North Rift Economic Bloc counties (Noreb), paid a courtesy call on the Nandi Governor during which they discussed UK investment in the region.

She handed over the economic blueprint and conflict analysis for the region.

Ms Marriot said UK and Kenya have a long shared history. She noted that the British government has been giving huge support for various development projects in Kenya as the two countries enjoy a good working relationship.

Noreb stability

She said the UK was interested in the stability of the Noreb counties, hence its decision to continue supporting the devolved units, particularly in addressing conflict in the region and developing an economic blueprint that could spur the high potential that the region holds.

“UK has supported and will continue to support NOREB to help develop the conflict analysis in the region. What is driving conflict and how to reduce conflict,” she said.

She noted that a visit to a large-scale tea farm had confirmed that the relationship between the big tea companies and the county government continues to improve. Most are Kenyan owned.

Governor Sang agreed that the issue of insecurity in the mining fields should be addressed to attract more investors who will contribute to job creation and boost revenue sources for the Nandi County government.

The governor said a lasting solution would be found and the county and national government would ensure local investors are protected.

In 2022, then Minister for Mining John Munyesi issued a 25-year license to Karebe mining company to extract the precious from the region.

According to Karebe Managing Director Charlie Teyon, the company has paid Sh2.5 billion to the Kenya government since the year 2008 when it started mining gold in the Karebe area.