The county government of Kitui through the Environment ministry has stopped mining of limestone done at Twimuma, Kyuso sub county in Mwingi North, Kitui.
The exercise is carried out by Ndovu cement company which started blasting two years ago without the consent of the community nor the county government, this is according to area locals.
The Locals said the investor came with licenses from Nairobi and started blasting causing environmental harm to them.
Hiram Maluki Kasoni, Twimuma development committee chair said the community tried asking from local leadership the protocols of the mining activity but they did not succeed. “We then wrote a letter to the ministry of mining which directed us to enquire from the county government,” he said
Hiram added that the investor’s mining letter was cancelled by the Environment ministry in Kitui but he allegedly acquired another letter from Nairobi.
He said the mining activity has led to cracked houses , schools, dusty roads, noise pollution among other health hazards.
Their plea to the government is to issue a license together with the NEMA report to any investor.
“We also want to know where the cutline is, where exactly the minerals are deposited and know about the compensation,” he stated.
Area MCA, Stephen Kivunzi Musili said as local leaders they will not allow any investor to humiliate the locals regardless of where they acquired their license from.
Musili said the investor ought to follow all regulations regarding the mining activity.
“The local content ought to be utilized to ensure locals benefit from this natural resource,” he said.
He also decried adverse effects of the mining acting activity stating it has to stop until the investor follows all set guidelines among them Corporate Social Responsibility.
Patrick Koki Musau said the exercise is illegal as the company has not done any CSR and did not have any permit from the county government.
The exercise was stopped until the investor liaises with the community liaison committee and follows all set CSR to construct new schools, roads, boreholes among others.
The minister also directed the investor to install a limestone processing plant in the area in order to create job opportunities to the locals other than transporting the mined materials to Nairobi for processing.
He also invited all investors to come along but ensure they follow all set guidelines.
Matters acquisition of land, Koki urged locals to have a meeting and agree on how much they will sell their pieces of land which they are currently selling at sh.150,000 per acre.