Nairobi, July 29 – Mining Cabinet Secretary Hassan Joho has pulled the plug on a major cement company’s mining activities in the Kilifi-Kaloleni region, leaving hundreds of workers facing uncertainty.
Speaking during a public forum, Joho revealed that the shutdown was triggered by the company’s continued operations without proper mining licenses—despite being issued several warnings by both county and national authorities.
To tighten oversight, the CS also instructed Mining Principal Secretary Harry Kimtai to initiate the formation of local monitoring committees. These committees will be tasked with ensuring all mining operations comply with legal and environmental standards.
“I came to Kilifi to follow up on what we had agreed with the company—and clearly, nothing has been done. The first step is to set up a proper committee to keep things in check,” Joho said.
Kilifi Governor Gideon Mung’aro echoed Joho’s concerns, saying the mining site had been damaging the environment and endangering locals.
“I’m very disappointed. The community here has long raised concerns about this mine. It’s harming more than helping the people of this region,” the governor stated.
This closure aligns with the ministry’s wider crackdown on illegal mining nationwide. Just weeks earlier, on June 9, the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) shut down over 200 gold mining sites in Turkana County over similar concerns.
NEMA reported that these sites—located in the Kambi Karai and Lami Nyeusi areas along the River Turkwel—were operating without the legally required Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) licenses.
Residents had complained about environmental degradation, citing deep open pits and contaminated water that rendered the river unsafe for household use.
In a statement, NEMA confirmed the immediate suspension of all mining operations in the affected regions.
“These mining activities have resulted in serious environmental harm,” said the agency. “None of the more than 200 gold mining sites have EIA licenses. The pollution they cause makes the river water unfit for domestic use.”
NEMA added that it would conduct a full inspection of the sites to evaluate compliance and determine further action.
