At 4.15 pm on 23 January an explosion echoed over Chemase Hills in western Kenya's Nandi County. The blast collapsed part of Kenya's most productive goldmine, operated by British firm Karebe Gold Mining, which is owned by Mauritius-based investment fund Maris Africa. The explosion, which killed three miners and injured six others, occurred as the company's workers were building a wall to close off the gold deposit. Since the Kenyan courts halted mining there in 2020, the site has been prey to illegal
In Focus | Kenya
Deadly blast in Ruto stronghold highlights political ripples of long-running goldmine row
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In western Kenya, the Chemase goldmine is attracting the interest of private and political actors. An explosion there in January crystallised tensions between UK firm Karebe Gold Mining, three of whose employees died, and a group of well-connected Kenyan miners.
