By MANUEL ODENY
Government has suspended copper mining in Nyatike sub-county, Migori after deadly clashes on Saturday left a dozen people injured.
Regional mining officer Joshua Boiwo, in a letter seen by Nyanza News suspended copper mining in the area.
The letter is dated September 15 and is addressed to Copper Hill Exploration and Mining Resources Company Limited.
The letter said government the the cabinet secretary issued a gazette notice number 14732 a year ago declaring copper mining as a strategic mineral with another notice on September 14, 2024.
“We wish to inform you that copper was declared a strategic mineral and that the mining and dealing with it should be in accordance to the mining (strategic mineral) regulation, 2017,” Boiwo said.
In the lette, Boiwo said “all copper mining and dealing are suspended until such a time the law on strategic minerals is compiled with,”
According to the law, “strategic mineral” is a mineral deposit declared to be strategic under that can directly impact in government security and economic interests.
It is yet to be clear if the declaration by Boiwo will affect the parcel, LR NO. Muhuru/Kadem/Macalder/498, which was left by British colonialists and owned by the Migori county government.
The land has been a center of battle, both physically and in court in the past.
On Saturday Macalder Kanyarwanda MCA Felix Okwanyo, two police officers and over a dozen people were hurt in violent clashes at the site.
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