BY MANUEL ODENY

Residents of Osiri- Matanda in Nyatike which has been the center of gold mining activities in Migori County, have called on the investors to conduct Community Social Responsibility (CSR) projects in the area, to enable them to benefit from the mining activities.

The residents who have shown their dissatisfaction with how the mining activities are being conducted by the investors, complained of cyanide chemicals which get their ways into the rivers from the the mining sites, killing their animals.

Led by William Odhil, they have said that despite the area being main source revenue in the county and a contributor to the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) courtesy of mining activities, it’s residents have been wallowing in abject poverty without any development to show for.

The residents have also said that despite getting into agreements requiring the investors to donate part of the revenue from gold mining towards elevating the community, only a few investors have done CSR projects in the area.

They have pointed out lack of clean water, better health facilities, and upgraded learning infrastructure which they now call on the gold mining investors to prioritize as part of their CSR projects for the community.

As a way of facilitating that, the residents have also requested the department of Mining and Blue economy, to ensure that those carrying out large scale mining activities have licenses and can be held accountable.