Jared Nyakie stands pensively at his private gold mining site in Mikeyi, Migori county, waiting for his workers to haul ore from the belly of the earth. He walks towards an electric pulley that brings two miners 80 feet up with sacks of gold-rich ore in 50kg cement bags. “We reduced non-essential workers in working areas and placed hand washing machines in each mine,” Nyakie said. While governments in gold mining areas in Western Kenya placed measures to combat the spread of Covid-19, gold mines were closed. While private miners have been taking measures in their capacity, in communal mining centres and towns, collective measures have been elusive.

Source: The Star September 01, 2020 02:01 UTC