Governor Kachapin warns against illegal gold mining in West Pokot

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West Pokot Governor Simon Kachapin has warned of imminent legal action against illegal gold mining in the county.

He accuses powerful interests of exploiting local  resources while destroying the environment.

Addressing journalists on Saturday, Kachapin said the community is growing increasingly frustrated and may be forced to defend its resources if authorities fail to act.

“The community will rise to defend its resources by taking legal action against  illegal miners,” he said.

The governor faulted gold merchants for operating without licences, despite strict requirements for other small-scale businesses.

“Even small businesses are required to acquire licences. Why don’t gold merchants want to get business permits? Where is the National Environment Management Authority while our environment is being destroyed?” he posed.

Kachapin revealed that the county had received only Sh1,000 in royalties from gold mining activities over the past year, terming the figure shocking given the scale of operations on the ground.

He further alleged that artisanal miners have been pushed out as external merchants take control of mining sites, claiming to have acquired legal rights from Nairobi.

“Artisanal  miners have been chased away as economic exploitation takes place. Gold merchants are grabbing people’s land, claiming they acquired cadasters from the mining office in Nairobi,” he said.

The governor said the county will move to court to seek orders stopping all illegal mining activities, citing widespread environmental degradation, including encroachment into protected areas such as the Nasolot Game Reserve.

“Illegal miners have gone as far as invading Nasolot Game Reserve, where we have some of the biggest elephants in the world,” he noted.

He added that areas around the Turkwel Hydroelectric Power Station have also been severely affected, with infrastructure, including schools, reportedly damaged.

Livestock keepers, he said, are losing grazing land due to environmental destruction and lack of rehabilitation efforts.

“Our people have no land left to graze their animals. The environment has been destroyed, and no one is rehabilitating the land,” he said.

Kachapin linked the crisis to a gold rush that began last year, which has attracted illegal operators and intensified exploitation.

Despite engaging the national government, he said little action has been taken.

“We have held several meetings with the Ministry of  Mining and even the President, but nothing has come out of it,” he said.

The governor also alleged corruption among some leaders and security officers, claiming they have enabled illegal mining to continue.

“Gold merchants have bribed some leaders to speak against us, and even police officers have been compromised to chase away artisanal miners while machines are brought in to extract gold,” he claimed.

He warned of the dangers posed by chemicals used in mining, saying they are being discharged into rivers.

“They discharge chemicals into rivers, which are dangerous to both human beings and animals,” he said.

Kachapin cautioned that continued inaction could push residents to take matters into their own hands.

“No one should blame the Pokot community if it takes action. We have tried all available channels, but our concerns have been ignored,” he said.

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