Conservation in Mining Areas

K-BIAN's environmental and social programmes, in collaboration with the investors through their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) portfolio in the mining areas of Ikolomani and Shinyalu Sub-counties of Kakamega County, has supported land reclamation, alternative livelihoods and community infrastructure activities. Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining (ASM) are the main types of mining in the areas, with large-scale mining yet to take off. The ASM includes alluvial mining, that involves sifting and washing topsoil and river sediments along local channels like the Isiukhu, Izava and Yala rivers to recover loose gold particles; open-cast/surface mining, where workers dig shallow pits and open trenches directly into weathered surface rock and soil to extract gold-bearing ore; and hard-rock underground shaft mining, where miners dig deep manual vertical shafts — often between 150 and 500 metres deep — into quartz veins to extract primary hard rock ores.

Alluvial gold mining

Alluvial gold mining has caused severe environmental degradation, primarily water pollution, severe soil erosion, and habitat destruction along river channels. Washing and sifting topsoil directly in river channels increases turbidity, turning streams milky or brown. Ore processing uses fluid mercury and cyanide, which leak into local streams, poisoning aquatic life and rendering community water sources unsafe. Unregulated redirection of water for processing ponds causes localised drying and reduced downstream water flow. Stripping topsoil along riverbanks exposes plant roots and destabilises the terrain, while clearing riparian zones for washing bays and makeshift camps leads to localised deforestation and habitat loss. Unfilled excavation pits cause land subsidence and leave dangerous depressions across rural farmlands, threatening subsistence agriculture and food security.

Open-cast and surface mining

Open-cast and surface mining causes severe land degradation, water pollution, and biodiversity loss. Unfilled excavations and gaping holes create safety hazards, lead to land subsidence, and ruin the local topography, while stripping topsoil leaves ground bare, causing high rates of soil erosion and exposed plant roots. Clearing land for mining and washing away topsoil destroys local vegetation, shrubs and agricultural potential. The use of fluid mercury (Hg) and cyanide during gold separation introduces dangerous heavy metals into local soils and water sources. Crushing sites and machinery produce high noise levels and heavy airborne dust. Abandoned open pits fill with stagnant rainwater, turning into major breeding sites for mosquitoes and increasing malaria risks. Habitat destruction forces out local fauna and disrupts fragile rural ecosystems.

Hard-rock underground shaft mining

Hard-rock underground shaft mining in Kakamega County causes severe environmental degradation, principally land subsidence, heavy metal water pollution, and localised deforestation. Deep underground tunnelling and blasting weaken underlying rock strata, triggering sinkholes and ground collapse. Uncapped or abandoned vertical shafts create physical hazards and alter local land contours. Ore processing and tailings expose heavy metals like arsenic, lead and chromium, with soils near sites showing arsenic levels thousands of times higher than baseline safety limits. Water pumped from deep shafts or draining from waste rock heaps increases stream acidity and discolours local river networks like the Isiukhu. Clearing land for surface infrastructure, ventilation systems, power stations, and timber needed to shore up underground shafts strips away native plant cover. Soil compaction and toxic dust from crushing sites degrade adjacent agricultural and grazing lands, reducing local biodiversity.

Environmental protection and reclamation

K-BIAN works with the communities on reclaiming mined land and protecting the river as work at the site continues: backfilling and grading worked ground back to stable contours, replacing saved topsoil, revegetating with native grasses, cover crops and trees, managing wastewater to prevent toxic runoff into the rivers, and containing waste so it cannot leach into the water.

Community economic empowerment

Alongside the mining itself, the programme is designed to build alternative livelihoods for the households, and to improve access to finance through micro-credit schemes, revolving funds and Village Savings and Loans Associations (VSLAs). Vocational training in trades such as mechanics, carpentry and modern farming techniques is intended to give women and young people in the area routes into work beyond the mining site.

Social welfare and infrastructure

The programme also looks beyond the mining site itself, to the wider community, through supporting maintenance of access roads, clean water boreholes and sanitation facilities, community centres and marketplaces, school buildings and classroom materials, and local health care access through clinics and mobile health units.

Approach

K-BIAN's approach follows a structured cycle that includes assessing environmental, social and economic conditions on the ground; engaging the wider community and local government; setting clear, measurable environmental and social targets; hiring and sourcing locally; and monitoring progress with regular reporting back to the community.