KAKAMEGA: Anti-Gold Mining Protests Leave FOUR People Dead
Four people died and six others, including two police officers, were hospitalized with critical injuries on Thursday as a result of violent protests in Ikolomani over plans to mine gold worth Sh680 billion in the area.
Western regional police chief Issa Mohamoud confirmed the deaths, while the injured were taken to the Kakamega County General Hospital.
The protests broke out during a meeting called by the Director-General of the National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA).
Our National Coordinator, @Stephenshikoli1 is at the Ikolomani Gold Mining Public Hearing in Kakamega today.
— Network of TB Champions Kenya (@TBChampions_ke) December 4, 2025
🛑 Our submission focuses on the critical link between mining-induced silicosis and the alarming rise in TB cases in the community.#IkolomaniMining #CommunityHealth pic.twitter.com/rMEODcRoaX
NEMA surveyed the local community and stakeholders about the proposed mining project, which includes relocating around 800 households.
Police opened fire on civilians who were pelting them with stones, killing four people.
Two police officers, a male and a female, were badly injured when protesters attacked them with metal bars and clubs.
3 Killed, Several Injured in Isulu Gold Protest
— TV 47 Digital (@tv47digital) December 4, 2025
Three people were shot dead and several others, including police officers and journalists, were injured after violence rocked a gold miners’ protest in Isulu, Ikolomani Sub-County, Kakamega County.#TV47NewsNow @Sheilarchela pic.twitter.com/AXRWQ4AWYw
Protesters blocked the Sigalagala-Butere route, set fires, and harassed motorists for several hours.
They attacked Imusali Primary School, where the NEMA meeting was set, fought with the police, and eventually overwhelmed them.
The rioters tore down tents, smashed hundreds of plastic chairs, set fire to the public sound system, and stole metal bars.
They also broke into the administration block of the nearby Imusali Secondary School, vandalising property and setting it on fire.
Four journalists covering the event were also attacked, incurring injuries and having their cameras and cell phones taken.
A journalist’s camera was vandalised while another lost a laptop, mobile phone and a camera.
One scribe suffered head and hand injuries after he was hit by a metal bar. He was treated at Sheywe hospital in Khayega and discharged.
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A similar meeting convened at Bushangala Technical Training Institute (TTI) was called off at the last minute on November 12 after the community turned hostile.
A resident, Alfred Shitiavai, said the community was opposed to the proposal to be relocated from their ancestral land.
“When Shanta came here, we agreed that they would agree with us before sinking shafts on our land upon paying us,” he said.
“All of a sudden, we’re now being told we should leave our land for mining. This is unacceptable.”
KAKAMEGA: Anti-Gold Mining Protests Leave FOUR People Dead
