Gold miners in Migori County have acquired security and safety skills to help curb cases of deaths and injuries in the mines during gold and other minerals extraction.
According to Impact Facility in charge of occupational, safety and health Happison Muchangangi, the training comes against the backdrop of rising cases of deaths and serious injuries to many artisanal mineral miners in many parts of Kenya including Migori County.
He said that the miners were trained on various occupational hazards that included environmental health and also the destruction of the ecosystem due to the equipment that they use to extract gold deep in the mines.
He added that the miners have been trained in Rongo, Nyatike, Suna West and also Kehancha in Kuria West and most of them welcomed the move and wanted the sessions to be done many times annually so that they could engage in safe and healthy minerals extraction in the rich gold mines of Migori County.
Migori County Commissioner Michael Meru Mwangi said that the situation has been worse as the miners have been reporting many cases of deaths, injuries and other conflicts related to minerals extraction in many parts of Migori County and the country at large.
He said that the security team will ensure that the miners comply with the regulations that include proper acquisition of land and also get themselves liable licenses that they can use during the mining exercise.
Migori County mining officer Joshua Boiwo said that the training exercise will go a long way in reducing the rampant cases of deaths and also injuries to the gold miners in Migori where some engage in dangerous mining activities regardless of their life.
He said that it will go a long way in eradicating many cases and also empower the miners with proper knowledge and skills on the best, secure and safety ways of mining in the mines.
Mineral miners Association chairman Kephas Ojuka said that the miners have welcomed the move and they look forward to cascading the message to other mining sites in Migori County.
He said that the mines have been a death trap for many miners, especially during the rainy seasons when shaft collapse making some of them to get serious injuries and even resulting in deaths and other calamities.
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