It's gold or death: Poverty pushes West Pokot miners into killer pits

 

Members of the public at Morita gold mining site in West Pokot County where dozens died in a Thursday night incident, May 8, 2026. [Peter Ochieng, Standard]

Barely four days after a deadly rock collapse killed 15 artisanal miners at Romos area in West Pokot County, the mining pits are once again crowded with hundreds of desperate locals searching for gold.

The same tunnels that turned into graves are now alive with the sound of hammers, shovels and human activity as men and women return to the dangerous mines despite the tragedy that shocked the country.

To outsiders, the decision to continue mining after such a horrific incident may appear reckless. But for the residents of Romos, poverty, hunger and lack of alternative sources of income leave them with little choice but to return underground.

For many families here, the choice is painfully simple — risk death underground or face hunger above it.

Many of the miners say artisanal mining remains the only means of survival in the arid region where livestock keeping, once the backbone of the local economy, is increasingly becoming unsustainable due to prolonged drought and poverty.

As families continue mourning their loved ones, survivors insist that closing the mines would only worsen their suffering.

“The people who died were unfortunate, but life must continue. We survived and we still have families to feed. The government cannot provide food for us,” said Peter Lomada, one of the miners at the site.

Lomada said the government should focus on introducing safety regulations instead of shutting down mining activities completely.

 

Residents, mostly women, search for gold in a river near Kambi Karai in West Pokot County, May 9, 2026. [Peter Ochieng, Standard]

“The area has boosted the economy of this county. What happened was just an accident like those that occur on roads every day,” he said.

At the collapsed mining site, rescue operations were called off, although some families are still searching for bodies believed to be trapped beneath the debris. Yet only a few metres away, miners continue digging for gold.

“We cannot awaken the dead. People are stepping over the bodies as they continue mining because hunger does not wait,” Lomada said painfully.

The tragedy has exposed the harsh realities of artisanal mining in remote parts of Kenya, where thousands of people work in dangerous conditions without training, protective equipment or government supervision.

Most of the miners operate in makeshift underground tunnels supported by weak rocks and soil. There are no proper safety inspections, emergency rescue systems or professional mining experts on site.

According to residents, the illegal use of explosives weakened the rocks before the collapse occurred. Miners had reportedly rushed into the caves after a blast in an attempt to collect gold when the walls suddenly caved in.

Nicholas Domokwang, another resident, blamed poverty for pushing many residents into risky mining activities.

“Livestock keeping is no longer reliable because of drought and poverty. People have no option but to search for gold,” he said.

Domokwang said nobody expected the rocks to collapse.

“It was an unfortunate incident. The walls became weak after the blasting and people rushed into the caves,” he explained.

Even after the deaths, community elders believe abandoning the mines is impossible because hunger continues to bite hard in the area.

“Hunger does not choose time. Closing mining activities will expose many families to suffering,” Domokwang said.

He added that Pokot elders are planning traditional cleansing rituals by slaughtering a bull to prevent another tragedy from happening in the area.

Women are among the most affected by the harsh realities of artisanal mining. Many spend long hours crushing rocks, carrying heavy loads and working in unsafe conditions to provide for their families.

Westgate Lochodo, another resident, said poverty has forced many women into mining despite the dangers involved.

“Even after the deaths, people still have to live and feed their children,” he said.

Lochodo noted that the mining fields have also attracted thousands of people from neighbouring countries, including Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi, Congo and Somalia, all hoping to strike gold.

“We have many people from outside the country who came here to look for money, not to mourn. That is why mining activities resumed immediately,” he said.

According to West Pokot County Mining Officer Maurice Njagi, regulating mining activities in Romos remains extremely difficult because the area lacks government presence and administrative structures.

“There is no police station or administrative office in the area. In terms of regulation, it is very challenging,” Njagi said.

He said the mining zone has a population of more than 7,000 people, comprising locals and foreigners, making coordination difficult.

“If the government wants proper regulation, there must be a multi-agency approach. Administrative units should be established and mining licences issued to those who qualify,” he said.

Njagi admitted that although the Mining Act 2016 provides regulations for artisanal mining, enforcing the law in remote and insecure regions remains a challenge.

“The area is inaccessible and there are security concerns,” he said.

He blamed illegal explosives for triggering the blast that caused the deadly rockfall and promised to intensify public sensitisation on mining safety.

“There was illegal use of explosives which led to the collapse that killed 15 people,” Njagi said.

West Pokot County Commissioner David Saruni said the government will deploy more security officers to the region and crack down on illegal mining operations.

“Miners must follow safety regulations. Those using explosives are risking lives and action will be taken against them,’ Saruni said.

But even as authorities promise tighter regulations, the reality on the ground remains unchanged. Deep inside the dusty gold pits of Romos, miners continue digging through unstable rocks in search of survival.