Mbaruya Say No to British Mining Firm

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KAKAMEGA, Kenya — Tension is brewing in Kakamega County after residents of Ikolomani constituency rejected plans by a British-owned company, Shanta Gold Limited, to establish a large-scale gold mining operation in the area.

The London-listed firm, through its Kenyan subsidiary, recently announced that exploration in the Isulu-Bushiangala zone had revealed gold deposits estimated at 1.27 million ounces—worth roughly KSh 683 billion (US$5 billion). The company has submitted an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) to Kenya’s National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) seeking approval to begin mining.

However, local residents and leaders say they were not adequately consulted about the project and fear mass displacement, loss of farmland, and environmental damage. Many families in Ikolomani rely on small-scale gold panning and agriculture for survival and worry that a large foreign mining firm will take over their livelihoods.

“We have seen strangers marking our farms without explaining what they are doing,” said one resident. “We will not allow anyone to chase us away from our ancestral land.”

Kakamega Governor Fernandes Barasa has also voiced strong opposition to the company’s activities, accusing it of proceeding without proper engagement or a valid mining licence. In October, he ordered Shanta Gold representatives to halt all operations until full consultations with the county and affected communities are held.

Shanta Gold maintains that it is following Kenyan laws and international standards. In its EIA report, the company says it plans to compensate affected households, share one percent of the project’s value with host communities, and adhere to environmental safeguards. It estimates the project would require about 337 acres of land, potentially displacing more than 800 households.

The proposed mining zone borders sensitive ecological areas and water catchments linked to the Kakamega Forest, raising further environmental concerns. The project’s public participation meeting, organized by NEMA, was recently postponed, fueling additional anger among residents who feel excluded from the decision-making process.

Economically, the discovery could make Kakamega one of Kenya’s largest gold-producing regions, with potential royalties amounting to Kshs 600 million annually to both national and county governments. Yet many locals view the project as a new form of resource extraction that benefits outsiders more than the community.

“Gold should be a blessing, not a curse,” said a local artisanal miner. “We need to see development, not eviction.”

As the standoff continues, the county government insists that mining cannot proceed without genuine community consent, transparent compensation, and strict environmental protection measures.

For now, the promise of striking gold in Kakamega remains overshadowed by a growing wave of public resistance — a struggle that highlights Kenya’s broader debate over who truly benefits from the country’s natural wealth.