Mining Principal Secretary Elijah Mwangi has announced plans to address the growing concern over bodies being dumped in abandoned quarries by initiating a rehabilitation program. Speaking in Murang’a, Mwangi stated that the Ministry of Mining has begun surveying and mapping all inactive quarries nationwide.
He emphasized that miners are legally responsible for properly covering pits left after mining activities.
Paul Mugo, Murang’a’s Trade and Co-operatives chief officer, highlighted efforts to register miners into cooperatives to facilitate the implementation of the quarry rehabilitation initiative. Additionally, Mugo mentioned the government’s consideration of utilizing strip pits for agricultural purposes such as fishing or constructing dams.
Peter Mwangi, a miner, expressed optimism about cooperatives enhancing business opportunities for small miners and strengthening their bargaining power in product sales.
