Ganze sub-county in Kilifi county is home to a number of mining activities for decades now.
But whilst these are meant to be a roadmap to the development of the region, the mines have remained a thorn in the flesh of many residents.
With degraded environment to lack of empowerment by the companies to the community, the cry over the same is that they have been doing more harm than development to the locals.
Currently, over 15,000 residents of Ganze have opposed a proposed titanium mining project allegedly set to be established very close to the endangered Arabuko Sokoke forest.
The residents composing of opinion leaders, religious leaders, political environmentalists, and forest association members said the company called Valencia Titanium limited did not do any public participation regarding the project.
They said they came to learn about the project online and it was in its final stages before National Environmental Management Authority issued a license for them to start mining.
The Chairman of Arabuko Sokoke Forest Adjacent Dwellers Association (ASFADA) Mr. Charo Ngumbao said Arabuko Sokoke forest has a stretch of 420 kilometers and is surrounded by 52 villages.
Addressing journalists at Nyari village in Sokoke sub-location Mr. Ngumbao said Arabuko Sokoke forest is a national reserve and renowned as the largest in East Africa with 20 percent of Kenya’s bird species, 30 percent butterfly species and at least 24 rare and endemic bird, mammal and butterfly species.
He said they have been in the forefront in conserving the forest environment for years as per the forest act of 2006 that community must be involved in conservation.
He said it was strange that the county government of Kilifi approved the Valencia Titanium company to prospect for minerals in the county without involving the community.
“It is there is a hidden agenda here because the process used to approve the company is illegal, meetings were held at the chief’s office, only 47 people were present leaving out the larger community,” he said.
He said community leaders, elders together with Area MCA and MP were not involved, hence leading to even more questions.
More shocking he said was when they got the documents of the project online and government institutions and NGOS such as KFS, KEFRI, KWS, Nature Kenya Arocha Kenya were not aware about it.
“The area is home to over 15,000 people but the report indicated that there is between 5,000 to 8,000 people,” he said.
He said that should the project be approved, then five schools including two secondary and three primary schools which will be affected.
He said mining cannot be done within community level as the effects are serious and many effects including miscarriages among expectant, children born blind or abnormal births.
“We do not want this project and are telling our Governor Amason Kingi to reject the project too and ensure Valencia Titanium company does not do any mining activities in Kilifi county due to the side effects of the project,” he said.
Ganze MCA Benson Chengo said they were against Valencia mining company which got a permit from the county government to do mining in his ward without involving the community.
“I was not involved personally or my office, the office of the MP was also not involved because the other day I called him and he was not aware only a few people were involved through the chief and were given small money about Sh. 1800,” he said.
As per the constitution, there has to be public participation for any project that is supposed to be implemented in an area for them to know the benefits and effects of the project.
He said together with the community they are opposed to the project because it will have negative effects including on health, and the environment adding that the governor should not approve the project as it did not involve the public.
James Katama a local conservationist from Nyari who is the chairman of Sokoke community Forest Association (CFA) said when they saw the Environmental Impact Assessment report, they questioned so many things which went wrong including lack of involvement of the key stakeholders.
“We are under threat of losing so many things and are not in agreement with the project because where it was placed online none of the locals have such gadgets to go online, many locals were not aware of it and those who signed also never knew what they were signing,” he said.
He said if the project will affect conservation, he would not support it because the mining would be done 40 meters deep from the forest edge,’
Mr Katama said they have written to NEMA asking not to facilitate the approval of the project as it will have diverse effects.
Pastor Daniel Thoya a local religious leader said they will not allow the company to do mining in the area because the locals were not involved.
He said they have been seeing visitors coming with big vehicles and at times want to evict them because they are not clear on the activities they go to undertake. The investors claim they were given documents by landowners to begin the project which is wrong.
“The effects that are expected to be caused by the Mining are many but, in their document, they placed just a few even if there will be jobs, we want the project stopped completely there is no amount 0of money that will make us move,” he said.
Another resident, Agnes Lugho from Dzunguni said they learned about the project very late and found it was done deliberately so as not to involve the community.
“We have learned that there are so many negative repercussions which will be brought by the project and we are calling on the locals to make sure that it does not sail through,” she said.
The NEMA Director in charge of Kilifi county George Oyoo confirmed that there was a company that is awaiting approval from NEMA to prospect for minerals.
He however dismissed claims that the company is already coming to begin mining saying they were out to seek the availability of minerals in the county.
“People should understand that minerals belong to the government and if at all the area is found to be having minerals it would be mined,” he said.
Efforts to get a comment from the county government regarding the project proved futile as the CEC Member for Environment Mwachitu Kiringi did not respond to messages regarding the project.
*This article was written by Ramadhan Kambi for Uzalendo News. Email: uzalendonews@gmail.com for News tips and Inquiries.
