Gold mine collapse in Kenya killed my brothers
We mine pure gold and we are dying, not because we love mining, but because it is our only source of income here.
- 3 years ago
July 25, 2021
Fallout from the collapsed gold mine in Kakamega. | Kelly Ogome
KAKAMEGA, Kenya — On May 6, 2021, five people died in a gold mine collapse; two of them were my brothers.
That morning, Daudi and Abraham went to the Kakamega mine to look for gold, as usual. Our lives revolve around gold mines. Our late father joined the venture, and we grew up knowing nothing else.
We don’t keep cattle. We don’t grow crops. We risk our lives to go deep in the mines to look for the most precious mineral on earth.
When lunchtime came and my brothers did not return home, my mother set their meals aside. By five in the evening, we became worried, so I left for the mine where they were working.
When I arrived, all I could see was their tools on the surface – their spades and hoes and t-shirts. The whole place was muddy from heavy rains the night before. I suddenly realized the mine had caved in. I went into shock.
Rescue mission retrieves bodies
After a series of calls, the county rescue team arrived, but we knew this was not a rescue mission. It was a search for bodies.
The operation took longer than it should have, and the villagers came with a bulldozer to remove the heavy soil covering the miners.
After 18 hours of difficult digging in heavy rains, five bodies were retrieved.
According to accounts, there were only two people inside the mine. When the supporting pillars failed to hold back the loose soil, three others rushed in to save their colleagues. All five men became trapped.
The business of gold
What my brothers were doing is considered illegal mining. Not long ago, officers from the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA), came to warn residents against illegal mining, but unfortunately, for many, it is the only economic activity available to them.
My brothers died working to put food on the table. I believe these deaths are preventable. The same government that warns us against mining, mines for huge money from brokers.
We sell the gold at a throw-away price. For example, we may spend an entire day without collecting even a gram of gold, which we would sell for 3,500-4,000 shillings ($32-37 USD). The brokers, on the other hand, sell the gold to Indians in Nairobi at double the price.
We mine pure gold and we are dying, not because we love mining, but because it is our only source of income here.
I’ve heard of people dying in the gold mines since I was a little boy. I have attended burials, but at no point did I think the mines would cave in on the people I love the most.
This year I lost my brothers, despite all of their training. Nothing could save them.
