BY MANUEL ODENY

Mining Cabinet Secretary Hassan Joho have been lauded for enforcing the mining police department to ensure sanity in the sector.

Last month, Joho and the unit impounded over Sh200 million worth of minerals during a major operation targeting illegal dealers in Nairobi and Athi River.

The raid, which took place across a residential estate and industrial area, led to the arrest of three foreign nationals and a Kenyan citizen.

Several sacks containing high-value minerals, including iron ore, copper, zinc, and lead.

“We laud Joho and the police over the police and investigations unit, we need it to be downscaled to counties doing mining,” Evans Ogutu, an investor in gold mining sector in Migori and Homa Bay said.

He said the mining police units in counties should work closely with other police units and both county and sub-county police and security committees to help streamline the sector.

“We need the same operations in counties not only to streamline mining sector on revenue streams, but to also control mushrooming of illegal miners especially from foreigners,” Ogutu said.

He said while other sectors like coffee, tea, sugarcane and fishing have been receiving keen support from government mining sector is often left out.

“We have local investors who believe the mining sector is key in boosting our economy, we need government close intervention,” he said.

He was speaking after four gold miners were successfully rescued from collapsed Sindule mines in Masara area, Migori after an accident.

Ogutu and local miners alongside former Migori governor Okoth Obado and the current governor Ochillo Ayacko helped in the timely rescue operations.