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Gold Mining Industry and Its Implications on the Environmentin Kakamega

South Sub-County, Kakamega County, Kenya

Article in IOSR Journal of Humanities and Social Science · September 2020

DOI: 10.9790/0837-2509074761

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IOSR Journal of Humanities And Social Science (IOSR-JHSS)
Volume 25, Issue 9, Series 7 (September. 2020) 47-61
e-ISSN: 2279-0837, p-ISSN: 2279-0845.
www.iosrjournals.org

Gold Mining Industry and Its Implications on the Environmentin

Kakamega South Sub-County, Kakamega County, Kenya
Alwang’a R.1Mulinya C.2 and Mabonga J.1
1. Department of Geography, Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology P.O Box 190,50100,
Kakamega Kenya.
2. Department of Geography, Kaimosi Friends University College(A constituent college of Masinde Muliro
University of Science andTechnology) P.O Box 385 50309 Kaimosi, Kenya

ABSTRACT
The gold mining industry provides employment and mineralsthat are in demand. Both large-scaleand artisanal
and small-scale gold mining have resulted in environmental degradation in different parts of the world. Artisanal
and small-scale gold mining is a growing livelihood activity that is undertaken mostly in rural areasin Kenya
because of the limited employment opportunities as well as the need to supplement farm earnings. However,
this has led to land degradation and this threatens food security and the livelihoods of a majority of the
population who reside in these areas as they depend on small-scale and subsistence agriculture. In view of the
above, the study sought to assess the impact of the gold mining methods on the environment in Kakamega South
subcounty. The study adopted a descriptive survey designand employed random and purposive sampling
techniques. The data was collected by administering questionnaires, conducting interviews, making observations
and holding focus group discussions. The data collected was analyzed using SPSS to generate frequencies. The
findings showed that gold mining activities had resulted in environmental degradationevidenced by observable
effects such as dust at crusher location sites, coloration in stream water, high noise levels, gaping holes, land
subsidence, scanty vegetation and exposed plant roots as a result of soil erosion in some sites.
Key Words:Gold mining,Artisanal mining,Impact,Environment
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------
Date of Submission: 05-09-2020 Date of Acceptance: 20-09-2020
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I. INRODUCTION
Gold mining actvities have been practised for thousands of years due to the demand for the mineral in
the making of jewellery and minting currency among other uses.Economic growth has been achieved in
countries where gold is mined as the main mineral as it is a major foreign exchange earner,employs a large
number of people and has led to the development of related industries and infrastructure.The benefits are
however being realised at great environmental costs as gold mining is associated with widespread environmental
degradation (Awudi, 2002; Waugh, 2002).
Gold mining is undertaken at either large-scale or artisanal and small-scale mining level.The artisanal
and small-scalemining sector is just as important as the large-scale mining sector when it comes to
employment and mineral contribution as it infact, employs more people than large scale-scale mining and
contributes just as much in mineral production (Fritz, McQuilken, Collins , & Weldegiorgis, 2018).According to
Bryceson and Geenen (2016) gold is the main mineral mined in a number ofdeveloping countrieswhereartisanal
and small-scale mining is dominant.
Artisanal and small scale mining is mainly carried out using simple tools by miners working as
individuals or in groups who operate informally. It is mainly practiced in rural areas where it is viewed as being
more economically beneficial than other activities such as agriculture.Artisanal and small-scale gold mining is
however more associated with widespread environmental degradation as a result of poor mining practices by
an unskilled workforce that operates informally(Hentschel, Hruschka, & Priester, 2003).
The informal nature of the artisanal and small-scale mining sector in many developing countries makes
it difficult to improve environmental performance.This is because whereas licensed artisanal and small-scale
miners are more responsible with the environment,the unregistered artisanal and small-scale miners fail to
rehabilitate the land after their activities since legal action cannot be taken against them (Africa Center for
Economic Transformation (ACET), 2017).The difficulty in monitoring activities and enforcement of
environmental regulations in artisanal and small-scale mining is also because of the inaccessibility of the sites
and itinerant nature of the job (Hentschel, Hruschka, & Priester, 2003; Hanai, 2003).

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 Gold Mining Industry And Its Implications On The Environmentin Kakamega South Sub-..
Whereas Kenya is endowed with a variety of minerals and has a great potential for mineral
exploitation, Kenya’s economy is agriculturally based and sustains over 80% of the population. Inaddition, only
20 % of Kenya’s total land surface is arable land and this supports 70 % of the population. Gold mining in
Kenya is mainly of artisanal and small-scale nature and is mainly carried out in rural areas where a majority of
the country’s population reside and depend on the land for subsistence farming (Republic Of Kenya, 2017).
Agriculture and artisanal and small-scale mining seem to have a complimentary relationship. This is
because many families turn to artisanal and small-scale mining to supplement their farming earnings and invest
in farm inputs (Fritz, McQuilken, Collins & Weldegiorgis, 2018). The negative impacts of artisanal and small-
scale mining on the land however can affect agricultural production which shows that a complimentary
relationship does not exist between agriculture and artisanal and small-scale mining.
Artisanal and small-scale gold mining and agriculture are not complimentary particularly where
artisanal mining becomes the dominant occupation. This is because of the itinerant nature of artisanal and small-
scale gold mining and lack of rehabilitation of degraded land which leads to low production of food and cash
crops. This is even worse in areas where open cast mining which is a key feature of artisanal mining is dominant
as the method requires more land and involves excavation of top soil over large areas (Africa Center for
Economic Transformation (ACET), 2017).
Land subsidence resulting from underground gold mining hampers agricultural activities such as crop
cultivation due to the danger posed by the wide gaping holes that develop on the land. In addition, the
subsidence alters the slope of the land thus increasing the speed of surface runoff, this increases the rate of soil
erosion from the surrounding areas. The eroding of the top soil results in lands having infertile soils that cannot
support crop cultivation. The negative environmental impacts of gold mining such as water pollution, soil
erosion and land degradation have an impact on agricultural production thus threatening food security and the
livelihoods of many people who depend on agriculture. It is against this background that this study seeks to
document artisanal gold mining practices in Kakamega South subcounty, their impacts on the environment and
make recommendations for best mining practices and policy action.

II. METHODOLOGY
2.1 STUDY AREA
Kakamega South subcounty is located in Kakamega County in the Western region of Kenya. The sub
county lies between latitude 00 10’ 0’’ and 00 15’ 0’’ North of the Equator and Longitude 34 041’0’’and 34046
’30’’East of the Prime Meridian. The sub county covers an area of 146. 2km2.It is divided into four wards which
are; Idakho East, Idakho South, Idakho Central and Idakho North.

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 Gold Mining Industry And Its Implications On The Environmentin Kakamega South Sub-..

Figure 1 Map of Study Area, Kakamega South Subcounty, Kenya

Source; Researcher, Field Data (2020)

The population of Kakamega south subcounty based on the 2019 Kenya Population and Housing
Census is 111,743 of which 58,524 are female while 53,219 are male. The population density stands at an
average of 764 persons per square kilometre. The sub county lies within altitude 1240 metres and 2000 metres
above sea level and the area is well drained with permanent rivers. The annual rainfall in the area ranges from
2000 mm to 2200mm. The rainfall pattern is evenly distributed all year round and is bimodal having two rainy
seasons, the long and short rains. The long rains start in March and end in June while the short rains start in
August and end in November. December, January and February are dry months. The main economic activity
carried out in the area is subsistence farming. The land parcels are small and are mainly used for food
production. According to Huddleston (2007) the geology of the area has formation belonging to the Nyanzian
volcanic and the Kavirondian systems. The Nyanzian system is associated with gold bearing auriferous quartz
veins which occur mainly from the underground geology.

2.2DATA SOURCES AND COLLECTION METHODS

The study made use of both primary and secondary data sources. Data collection methods employed
were interviewing, observations, questionnaires and focus group discussions (FGDs). Secondary data was
obtained from published and unpublished sources and existing studies such as theses, journals, magazines,

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 Gold Mining Industry And Its Implications On The Environmentin Kakamega South Sub-..
newspapers, government policy documents and electronic websites. The questionnaire was the primary tool
administered to all artisanal miners.
Interviews were held with the owners of land where mining activities were taking place or had ceased
and personnel from the environment office, mines department and mining company. The researcher utilized an
observation checklist during data collection. There was observation of the activities such as mining methods and
level of degradation of the environment. Focus group discussions were held with the 24 residents neighbouring
the mine sites in the four wards with each group having 6 members. This was to validate information given by
the respondents regarding the impact of gold mining on the environment and the effectiveness of the measures
used to mitigate against the adverse impacts of gold mining.
Validity was ensured by ascertaining that the items on the instrumentswere relevant to the objectives
and content. This was done by critically examining the items on the instruments. Reliability was improved by
pre-testing the questionnaire to evaluate it for ease of understanding and the suitability of the general order of
the items on the questionnaire. Data collected was analyzed both quantitatively and qualitatively using standard
statistical packages to extract information on levels of environmental degradation and respondents’ perceptions
on impact of gold mining on environment.

2.2 SAMPLING PROCEDURE

The study adopted a descriptive survey design. All the 60 mine sites were used in the study. Random
sampling was employed to select a total of 240 artisanal miners representing 30 % of the target population to
take part in the study. Purposive sampling was employed in selecting 2 key informants from the mines
department, mining company and environment office as well as 60 household heads who were owners of land
where gold mining activities were on-going or had ceased and 24 household heads who were neither land
owners in the areas where mine sites were located nor involved in gold mining but were residents neighbouring
mining sites. These were residents who were closest to the mine sites.

III. RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS

There was need to establish the impact of the gold mining activities on the environment.The
respondents were asked to give their views on whether their gold mining activities had any negative impact on
the environment. They were also asked if gold mining had resulted in effects such as land dereliction, heaps of
mine wastes around the sites, water pollution, air pollution, bare ground at the sites, unproductive farmlands and
soil erosion.

3.1The Impact of the Gold Mining Methods on the Environment.

60.00% 56.20%

50.00%
43.80%
40.00%

30.00%

20.00%

10.00%

0.00%
Yes No
Figure 2 Respondents’ view on gold mining activities effect on the Environment
Source; Researcher, Field Data (2020)

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 Gold Mining Industry And Its Implications On The Environmentin Kakamega South Sub-..
Table 1 Responses on environmental impact of gold mining based on education level
Do you think that the methods you use for gold mining affect
the environment negatively?
Level of education Yes No Total
Primary Level 17 74 91
Secondary Level 65 44 109
Tertiary Level 10 0 10
Total 92 118 210

The study evaluated the respondents’ views on the effects of gold mining activities on the environment.
On this, the study established that 43.8% of the respondents agreed that the gold mining activities had some
impact on the environment while 56.2 % did not think that the gold mining activities had any impacts on the
environment. The respondents’ attitudes towards environmental issues were also influenced by their low level of
education that resulted in their lack of understanding of the impact of their mining activities on the environment.
This is because a majority of respondents with primary level of education did not acknowledge gold mining as
having a negative impact on the environment. According to Cooke (2017), the low level of education of most
artisanal and small-scale miners makes them not to understand the impact their activities have on the
environment.The study established that gold mining had resulted in environmental degradation. The findings of
the study are in consonance with those Hentschel, Hruschka and Priester (2003) that artisanal and small-scale
gold mining results in widespread environmental degradation as a result of poor mining practices.

3.2 Land dereliction

60.0 53.8
50.0
40.0 34.8
30.0
20.0
7.1
10.0 2.4 1.9
0.0
Strongly agree Agree Undecided Strongly disagree Disagree

Figure 3 Respondents’ perception on observable impacts of gold mining activities on land

Source; Researcher, Field Data (2020)

The study established that the majority of respondents 60.9% were of the view that gold mining did not result in
land dereliction while 37.2% were of the view that gold mining resulted in land dereliction. 1.9% of the
respondents were undecided on whether gold mining resulted in land dereliction.

3.3 Heaps of mine waste around the site

70.0
59.8
60.0
50.0
40.0
30.0
21.1 19.1
20.0
10.0
0.0
Large extent Small extent Not at all

Figure 4 Respondents’ perception on observable impacts of gold mining activities as heaps of mine waste
around the sites (Source; Researcher, Field Data 2020)

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 Gold Mining Industry And Its Implications On The Environmentin Kakamega South Sub-..
Heaps of mine waste is one of the negative impacts associated with gold mining. There was need to
establish whether gold mining had resulted in heaps of wastes around the sites. The study established that 21.1%
of the respondents were of the opinion that gold mining resulted in heaps of mine waste around the site to a
large extent while the majority 59.8% agreed that the practice resulted in heaps of mine waste in the areas
around the site to a small extend. They also stated that the mine wastes occupying the land were an
eyesore.19.1% of respondents who carried out open cast mining however felt that gold mining did not result in
heaps of mine waste around the sites. Their opinion may have been influenced by the fact that they found the
waste useful. This, as they said, was becausethe waste was used to backfill the shafts and to fill up gulleys on
loose surface roads in the area cut by running water during heavy rains.
Although some respondents felt that the activities did not lead to land dereliction because the area
excavated was small, the study established that there were many excavations that had resulted in land
dereliction because of the gaping holes in addition to ground subsidence experienced in some areas that
rendered the land useless for agriculture or construction of buildings. Ground subsidence had also interfered
with the soil structure affecting the fertility of the soil, thus rendering the land unsuitable for other uses
(Siachoono, 2010; Hilson,2002). These findings are in consonance with those of (Africa Center for Economic
Transformation (ACET), 2017) that artisanal and small-scale gold mining cannot play a complimentary role
with agriculture because of the industry’s negative environmental impact except in cases where there is
underground gold mining that does not result in cave-ins.

3.4Water pollution
60.00% 55.20%
50.00% 42.90%
40.00%
30.00%
20.00%
10.00% 1.90%
0.00%
Large extent Small extent Not at all
Figure 5 Respondents’ perception on water pollution as an effect of gold mining
Source; Researcher, Field Data (2020)

Water pollution is another effect of gold mining on the envrironment hence the need to establish if this
was the scenario at this study site. It was established that a majority of the respondents that is, 55.20% felt that
the gold mining activities did not result in water pollution at all while 42.90% of the respondents felt that gold
mining resulted in water pollution to a small extent. Only 1.90% of the respondents felt that gold mining did
result in water pollution to a large extent. The respondents who felt that gold mining did not result in water
pollution stated that it was because if the processing was done in rivers then the continuous flow of water would
wash away the mercury and sediment deposited in water during processing and this would not impact the quality
of water. This response showed that a majority of them did not understand the impact of gold mining activities
on water quantity and quality.The respondents who acknowledged water pollution as result of gold mining said
that it is because the processing of the ore in rivers made the water dirty. This was corroborated by findings
from a focus group discussion where some of the respondents stated that it was hard for them to get access to
clean water as the processing of the ore in the rivers made the water dirty. The processing of gold in the rivers
and the pouring of waste water back into the rivers resulted in murky waters that showed an increase in
riverturbidity.
The study established that gold mining activities had resulted in poor water quality as a result of
processing of the ore in rivers. The water which was poured back in the rivers also contained mercury that had
been used in amalgamation. Some shafts were also located in valleys close to rivers and the waste from the piles
flowed into the water bodies during heavy rains resulting in siltation of the water bodies. Pumping out of ground
water from shafts had also affected the water quantity in the area as revealed by respondents who stated that
rivers had become smaller and attempts to drill wells had been futile because of the lowering of the water table.
These findings are consistent with those of (United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO)
,2006) that panning as well as amalgamation at river margins results in contamination of the water

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 Gold Mining Industry And Its Implications On The Environmentin Kakamega South Sub-..
3.5 Air pollution
60.0 53.8
50.0
40.0 30.5
30.0
20.0
8.6 7.1
10.0
0.0
Agree Undecided Strongly disagree Disagree

Figure 6 Respondents’ perception on air pollution as an impact of gold mining activity

Source; Researcher, Field Data (2020)

Yes, 7.60%

No, 92.40%
Yes No
Figure 7 Response on new health problems experienced after starting work as gold miners.Source;
Researcher, Field Data (2020)

The study established that a majority of the respondents that is, 60.9% were of the view that gold
mining methods did not result in air pollution, 30.5% agreed that gold mining resulted in air pollution while 8.6
% could not make up their minds on whether gold mining methods resulted in air pollution or not. The
respondents who acknowledged air pollution as an effect of gold mining activities had an in-depth
understanding of the same as they stated that the dust emitted at crusher sites because of crushing of dry ore was
a source of air pollution.
These respondents also acknowledged other sources of air pollution in the sites such as exhaust fumes
from generators that were used to power machines pumping out groundwater as well as mercury vapour from
burning of amalgam. It was also noted that the crushers were located inpoorly ventilated buildings thus
exacerbating the situation. The respondents who were of the view that gold mining did not result in air pollution
and those who were undecided expressed a lack of understanding of the issue air pollution.
The respondents were also asked if they had experienced any new health issues since they started gold
mining activities. A few of them, that is 7.60% stated that they had experienced new health problems while
92.40% of the respondents stated that they had not experienced any new health problems since they started gold
mining. Those who stated that they had experienced new health problems were those who were mainly involved
in crushing of the ore in sites where ball mill crushers were located. They said the new health problems they
experienced were; persistent coughing, headaches, eye irritation and mild noise induced hearing loss. These
respondents also said that they associated the health problems they were experiencing with the gold mining
activities. This, they said was because they worked in the poorly ventilated buildings the whole day where the
crushing of the dry orewas done without protective gear such dust masks and ear muffs and hence were exposed
to a lot of dust and noise.
The study established that there was air pollution as a result of gold mining in the areas where crushing
of the dry ore was being carried out. This is in consonance with Ogola, Mitullah &Omulo (2002) who give the
main source of air pollution at gold mining sites as the silica dust from the quartz veins hosting gold that is
produced during the crushing of the ore.

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 Gold Mining Industry And Its Implications On The Environmentin Kakamega South Sub-..
3.6 Noise Pollution
60.0 51.4
50.0
40.0 34.8
30.0
20.0
4.3 7.1
10.0 2.4
0.0
Strongly agree Agree Undecided Strongly disagree Disagree

Figure 8 Respondents’ perception on noise pollution as an impact of gold mining activity

Source; Researcher, Field Data (2020)

The study established that 58.5% of the respondents were of the opinion that gold mining methods did
not result in noise pollution while 37.5 % of therespondents agreed that gold mining resulted in noise pollution
because of the noise produced by crushers and motorized pumps at the working sites. A few of them, that is,
4.3% were however undecided as to whether or not gold mining activities resulted in noise pollution. Those who
did not acknowledge noise pollution and those who were undecided also stated that they spent a considerable
amount of time at crusher sites hence were used to the noise and did not find it irritating. Few respondents
however also stated that they were experiencing new health problems such as mild noise induced hearing loss
that they did not have before and associated these to gold mining activities.
To assess the impact of the gold mining activities on the environment, the study sought to find out if
gold mining activities resulted in noise pollution.From observation it was clear that crushers in centralized
places for crushing ore were the main sources of noise pollution with some sites having up to three crushers.
The noise produced by the crushers was loud and irritating that it was not possible to hold a conversation at the
sites. This was validated by the Focus Group Discussions where residents living close to the sites stated that the
noise from the crushers and motorized pumps was a nuisance as it interfered with sleep and rest. The situation
was made worse by the fact that some shafts which had been sunk in valleys were flooded during the heavy
rains and the pumps had to run continuously for more than 24 hours so as to reduce the water levels to enable
the miners to resume their work.

3.7 Bare ground at the site

70.00% 61%
60.00%
50.00%
40.00%
30.00% 26.20%
20.00% 12.90%
10.00%
0.00%
Large extent Small extent Not at all
Figure 9 Respondents’ perception on bare ground as an impact of gold mining activity
Source; Field Data (2020)

The study established that majority of the respondents that is, 87.2% were of the opinion that gold
mining activities had resulted in bare ground at the site. They attributed this to clearing of vegetation at the
excavation sites and cutting trees in the area around the sites to get timber for use in supporting of the mine
shafts and tunnels in order to prevent mine collapse. The timber was also used in construction of makeshift
structures for storage of mining equipment such as the generators for powering machines used for pumping out
ground water and ball mill crushers. This was further confirmed by responses from FGD discussions where one
respondent stated that;
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 Gold Mining Industry And Its Implications On The Environmentin Kakamega South Sub-..
“It is becoming harder for us to get wood for our domestic use as a lot of vegetation has been cleared and trees
cut to provide timber for use in mining, we now source the wood from areas which are far from our homes
unlike in the past where we would get the wood from our farms.”
The few respondents that is, 12.90% who felt that gold mining did not result in bare ground at the site felt that
the area that had been cleared for excavation was too small to have any impact.

3.8 Unproductive farmlands

100.0 87.6
80.0
60.0
40.0
20.0 10.0
2.4
0.0
Large extent Small extent Not at all

Figure 10 Respondents’ perception on unproductive farmlands as an impact of gold mining activity

Source; Researcher, Field Data (2020)

The study established that majority of the respondents that is, 87.6% were of the opinion that gold
mining did not result in unproductive farmlands. A few of them, that is2.4% of the respondents however felt that
gold mining had resulted inunproductive farmlands to a large extent while 10.0% acknowledged that although
gold mining had resulted in unproductive farmlands, it was to a small extent.
Those who were of the opinion that gold mining had not resulted in unproductive farmlands stated that
the area excavated was small. In addition, the respondents stated that some of the money acquired from the gold
mining activities was used in buying farm inputs e.g. fertilizers hence felt that gold mining had a positive
contribution towards agriculture. This gave the impression that gold mining and agriculture were
complimentary.
Further investigation through observation and focus group discussions revealed that there were
negative environmental impacts such as ground subsidence in some sites including farms that made it
impossible to do cultivation. Shafts on lands where mining had ceased were not properly backfilled and the land
was left with gaping holes. Some of the mine waste forming piles at the mine sites were transported by surface
runoff and ended up on farmlands during heavy rains. The respondents who stated that gold mining resulted in
destruction of farmlands also said that it was because the water pumped out from the mines and left to flow on
their farms affected crop production. Members of a focus group discussion also expressed the same with one
member stating;
“The underground tunnels dug are a threat to our property and farm lands as we live in fear of the
land sinking as we have seen in other areas. If the miners continue digging holes and leaving them uncovered,
we shall have no farm lands in the near future. The water they pump out of the mines and leave to flow on the
land also affects the soil.’’
The study therefore established that it was difficult for artisanal and small-scale gold mining in
Kakamega south subcounty to play a complimentary role with small-scale subsistence farming because of the
negative environmental impacts of gold mining.

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 Gold Mining Industry And Its Implications On The Environmentin Kakamega South Sub-..
3.9 Soil erosion
100.0 93.3

80.0

60.0

40.0

20.0
2.4 4.3
0.0
Large extent Small extent Not at all

Figure 11 Respondents’ perception on observable impacts of gold mining activities on soil erosion
Source; Researcher, Field Data (2020)

The study sought the respondents’ perceptions regarding the impact of gold mining activities on soil.
The study established that only 6.7% of the respondents felt that their gold mining activities resulted in soil
erosion. The majority of the respondents that is, 93.3% felt that gold mining methods did not result in soil
erosion. This was because of lack of knowledge about soil erosion among the respondents.The study also
established that gold mining had resulted in a lot of waste in form of soil and waste rock that was piled at the
sites during extraction. A lot of waste was generated because the mineral was located deep beneath the surface
and a large amount of overburden had to be removed in order to reach it. Artisanal gold mining also involved
exploitation of low-quality ore meaning that, the mineral concentration in the rock was in small amounts and,
therefore, a lot of ore is extracted for processing in order to get a substantial amount of gold. This was
corroborated by the respondents who stated that they had to process at least two sackfuls of crushed ore in order
to get a gram of gold if they were lucky because in most cases processing the same amount always yielded much
less than a gram. These findings were in consonance with those of Gweth (2003) and Olalde (2016), who
attribute the much waste generated in gold mining to exploitation of marginal deposits of low-quality ore.

IV. CONCLUSIONS
The study established that gold mining activities had resulted in environmental degradation. This was
evidenced byhuge piles of mine waste occupying land in the sites where mining was ongoing, siltation and
coloration of stream water as a result of processing of the ore in streams and alluvial mining. There was also
land subsidence in some of the sites, bare ground and exposed tree roots resulting from soil erosion. In some
sites, shafts had been sunk in valleys close to rivers. There were gaping holes in sites where mining activities
had ceased. Stagnant pools of water were in sites where there was reworking of tailings and a lot of dust was
emitted at crusher sites as well as loud noise from the crushers and machines used to pump out ground water.
The adverse impacts of the gold mining activities were not just limited to the sites wherethere was
extraction of the ore,crushing andat water sources suchas rivers where processing of the ore was carried out but
also in homesteads .As the study established, it was at only two sites where the miners were given a daily wage
for their work, in all the others sites miners shared the ore extracted as a form of payment, each miner then
proceeded to carry out the processing at a place of their own choice with most of them opting to do this in their
homes. Crushing, sluicing, amalgamation and roasting of the amalgam therefore took place in several
homeswith the waste water containing mercury being disposed off by pouring on the ground in the homesteads.
Mercury is harmful to human life.

V. RECOMMENDATIONS
Due to the demand for minerals and the need to earn a living, mining activities will continue to be
carried out for years to come. Case studies of successful rehabilitation in the mining industry point to the fact
that mining can be carried out in an environmentally sustainable manner. It is, therefore, imperative that
measures are undertaken to ensure that gold mining activities in Kakamega south are carried out in an
environmentally sustainable manner. The study, therefore, recommends the following measures to achieve the
same.

i. Training of the miners on best mining practices on environmental protection and safety. The training should
emphasize on the benefits of using the best mining practices to the miners as this will inspire the miners to
put them into practice. Those charged with the responsibility of training the miners should take into account
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 Gold Mining Industry And Its Implications On The Environmentin Kakamega South Sub-..
the demographic characteristics of the miners such as level of education and work experience and come up
with programmes suitable for each group of miners. The training sessions should actively involve the
miners.
ii. The government should help by carrying out geological prospecting and demarcation of areas for registered
groups of artisanal miners. This will prevent haphazard exploitation and frequent migration of the miners,
thus helping keep track of them and make them accountable for their activities.
iii. There should be centralized controlled ore processing by setting up a center owned by miners’ co-operative
where a subsidized fee can be charged for use of equipment like crusherswhere processing activities such
as crushing, washing, sluicing, panning, amalgamation and roasting of amalgam can be done in the area a
considerable distance from homes ,farms and water sources. Rain water harvesting can be done at the
centers and the water used for processing the ore to reduce on over reliance on streams as sources of water.
Ground water pumped out of mines can also be collected and used in ore processing.
iv. Washing and amalgamation of the ore in special ponds lined with cement and disposal of tailings in pits
lined with plastic sheeting and red clay soil containing oxides that holds the mercury in place to prevent
water and soil pollution that results from pouring of the waste water containing mercury on the ground in
homes and in rivers.
v. Miners should use simple home-made retorts in roasting gold mercury amalgam to capture mercury
emissions. This will help to prevent air pollution.
vi. There should be construction of well-ventilated buildings for crushers to prevent dust accumulation as well
as use of protective gear for miners such as masks and ear muffs to prevent silica dust inhalation and protect
against excess noise produced by crushers.
vii. To prevent mine shaft collapses, artisanal miners should explore the use of other options to support the
shafts such as metal rods which give high support capacity and can easily be re-used in other mines. Instead
of wood, alternative material should be used in construction of sheds at mine sites as well as buildings for
crushers. This will reduce over reliance on wood, thus reducing the cutting down of trees.
viii. Mine waste stabilized with cement should be used to prevent ground subsidence. Covering the openings of
active shafts to prevent water from surface run-off from getting into the mines will also help to prevent
ground subsidence.
ix. For successful revegetation, there should be careful removal, handling and storage of top soil to be used in
rehabilitation. Breaking up of compacted soil at mine sites at closure of the mining operations will improve
infiltration and plant root penetration, thus facilitating successful revegetation. Vegetation restoration
should then involve use of native plant species to accelerate ecological succession.
x. Open cast mine pits can be lined with clay to reduce water loss and be utilized for composting animal
manure. This will ease the financial cost of purchasing fertilizer for small-scale farmers in the area as well
as making good use of the pits.

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Alwang’a R. “Gold Mining Industry and Its Implications on the Environmentin Kakamega South
Sub-County, Kakamega County, Kenya.” IOSR Journal of Humanities and Social Science (IOSR-
JHSS), 25(9), 2020, pp. 47-61.

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