Magarini MP Michael Kingi with Assistant county commissioner Abigael Moloi during the crisis meeting to resolve the Sand harvesting conflicts last week.
Magarini sand loaders doing their work at the quarries on july 10
The FH lorries which led to the conflicts between transporters and sand loaders in Magarini.
Sand harvesters in Magarini, Kilifi County are up in arms over the prices of loading sand into lorries after some transporters rejected a plan to increase the price.
That has now elicited what is likely going to be a bitter row, which is also on the other now is threatening the peace and security of the region.
The irony of it is that some transporters have now started to divide the loaders into two separate groups to get cheap labour and easily manipulate them.
The uneasy situation forced the Magarini security committee to intervene to help end the conflict to prevent it from escalating into violence.
Some transporters who were not satisfied with the new loading prices chose to transfer a section of their fleet of lorries to locals so as to help them get cheap labour from their like-minded loaders and that is where the trouble started.
The Security committee meeting was attended by Magarini Member of Parliament Michael Kingi, Assistant County Commissioner Abigael Moloi, Sub County administrator, Chief katana Shilingi, officials of the loaders association, and the loaders.
During the meeting, it emerged that a section of the loaders used to work under an umbrella of one association called Mjanaheri Timboni Ngomeni loaders association (MJATINGO) decided to form a splinter association and the Name Ngomeni Garite loaders association.
Sand harvesting is one of the key economic activities depended by locals as it creates job opportunities to hundreds of youths who engage in loading sand in the quarries.
The security committee had to organize two meetings with the two associations so as to hear grievances from both groups and come up with a solution.
The chairman of Mjatingo Mr Kingi Kalangulo said as loaders they came up with a system where loaders are assigned to specific vehicles to ensure smooth operation.
He said previously loaders used to travel to wait for the lorries in Malindi or Msumarini along the Malindi Lamu road to come and load them.
“Previously one had to run to get a vehicle to load so if you could not run fast, it would be difficult to get a chance, somebody could stay for a week without loading, so we came system of numbers where each person is given specific lorries to load which was convenient to all,” he said.
MJATINGO Secretary Mr Rodgers Barisa Yesa said quarry owners are behind all the problems particularly when they are kicked out of leadership of association.
“Normally they form new associations aimed at dividing loaders so as to manipulate them adding that previously one person was killed due to the conflicts,” he said.
The official added that when they came up with loading price, they sat with North Coast Transporters association together with Magarini Sand cooperative society but that time there were no FH Lorries.
“However, when the lorries began coming the middlemen resolved they would pay Sh1000 to loaders but they came to realize the lorries were not five tonnes as others had 16 tones, a move that forced the adjustments and increasing the loading price to Sh2,000.
He said the transporters protested against it claiming that the price had been increased by 100 per cent but responded in a letter that they only reviewed the price and not increased it.
Mr Yesa said semi-trailer costs Sh6,000 to load sand, Canter lorry Sh1,000 and the FH came up due to the tonnage up to Sh2,000.
According to Mr Jacob Gona, a committee member Mjatingo loaders association, they are being frustrated by a few of their own who are being used by transporters to divide them.
Another member Kahindi Kalume alias Fabisch said they have been given over 10 court orders by transporters who are against the increase in pricing.
“We urge the MP to intervene and resolve theis matter so that we can be ensured of smooth operations,” he said.
The MP said there are some people with interests who normally take advantage of the quarry owners and loaders to get the commodity as a cheap price at the expense of the locals.
“I would like to tell you that you are sitting on gold this sand goes to many areas including out of the country but you remain poor,” he said.
Mr Kingi said there should be one price for loading so that all the people benefit instead of reducing prices at the expense of the locals.
The assistant county commissioner on her part called on the loaders to ensure they coexist peacefully so as to benefit from the resource.
