Around 800 families are at risk of losing their homes and being forcibly relocated as British company Shanta Gold plans to develop an underground gold mine. This is an intervention covering more than 136 hectares of land traditionally inhabited by the people of Musoli, Isulu and Bushiangala in western Kenya. According to Kenyan media The Star, the expectation of displacement and destruction of sites considered sacred sparked a climate of fear and resistance and sparked a security crisis in which at least four people died and six were injured during a public hearing on the project.
The Star detailed that the controversy arose after residents of the affected communities submitted a memorandum to the National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA) expressing their position against the mining company. In it, the signatories described both the displacement of families and the impact on graves and places of worship of local importance as unacceptable. Adding to the territorial dispute was widespread anger at the way the authorities implemented the consultation process, which was perceived by a large part of the population as opaque and inadequate in terms of democratic participation.
The public hearing at which the clashes occurred took place at a school in Kakamega and was convened by the Director-General of NEMA. The purpose of the meeting was to gather citizens’ opinions and concerns regarding the mine. However, tensions escalated when a group of project opponents stormed the meeting. As The Star reported, regional police led by Issa Mohamoud intervened and attempted to restore order. But the attacks ended with physical violence, the use of firearms and seriously injured people, including two officers who were taken to local hospitals after being attacked with blunt objects.
The violent incident is part of a history of tensions between the local administration and the population in western Kenya, where the prospect of a mine worth almost 680 billion Kenyan shillings (about 4.5 billion euros) has sparked a debate about the distribution of benefits and costs for communities. According to information published in the Star, the social unrest reached a level that prevented the normal continuity of the hearing and even affected press workers, as at least one journalist was injured during the reporting of the events and several film and photographic devices were rendered unusable by the climate of violence.
The memorandum submitted by NEMA opponents emphasized the demand that mining development should not proceed without prior and explicit consent from the local community. Community leaders pointed out that as a private company, Shanta Gold has no legitimate authority to appropriate ancestral lands unless the traditional owners of the land give their consent. Protecting cultural heritage, which residents identify with cemeteries and spiritual spaces, is the cornerstone of their demands, The Star reported.
The debate sparked by the mining megaproject also includes questions about the impact on the environment. The planned expansion of mine development has raised concerns about ecological balance and the preservation of lifestyles associated with traditional land use. The Star reported that residents’ criticism was not just about the economic aspect, but also about protecting the social fabric, which they said would become fragmented if forced displacement continued.
The consultation and decision-making process itself was one of the most discussed points. According to The Star, a significant part of the population expressed a deep distrust of official mechanisms, which they say are not very transparent and not representative of the community’s voices. The memorandum calls for guarantees of real participation, in which the opinion of residents actually plays a role in solving projects that affect their immediate environment.
During the hearing, police action was aimed at avoiding confrontations, but the successive provocations and the intensity of discontent exceeded the planned controls. The security forces’ response ended with the use of lethal weapons, an intervention that resulted in deaths and serious injuries to both protesters and agents. The Star detailed in its reporting that the scale of the unrest highlights the complexity of managing mining operations in areas that hold cultural and spiritual value to their residents.
Shanta Gold’s proposed mining project, which the company presents as one of the most outstanding gold discoveries in the African country’s history, aims to position Kenya as a leading regional player in gold production. Despite the argument that entrepreneurship can create economic opportunities and bolster foreign investment, the scale of the initiative has increased pressure on the local social fabric and deepened debate over the legitimacy of transferring ancestral lands into the hands of foreign interests, according to The Star.
The protests that led to the events in Kakamega are part of a broader structural problem related to the rights of traditional communities and the defense of their customs against corporate economic interests. Citizen demands recognized by The Star revolve around prioritizing collective well-being, ensuring prior consultation and full respect for the region’s identity and historical memory.
Following the violent events, the Kenyan government has made no formal decisions on the future of the mine or on possible changes to the consultation or relocation process, according to reports from The Star. Therefore, the mining project controversy continues to occupy the local and international agenda with clear calls for transparency, protection of cultural heritage and respect for the right of communities to decide their future and territory.