By Betty Luke
The government has indefinitely closed Kom Durte mining site in Merti Sub-County following the ongoing security operation in the area.
Isiolo County Commissioner Geoffrey Omoding said the move was necessitated by the need to protect the locals from criminals who had taken over activities at the site.
He said a survey conducted by a joint security team had established that the site was entirely under control of the suspected bandits.
“The government does not intend to harm the locals by denying their livelihoods but committed to ensuring their safety,” said Mr Omoding
Interior CS Fred Matiang’i two weeks ago declared the area as a disturbed and imposed a dust to dawn curfew to help bring sanity.
According to the CS, the mining activities at Kom could be funding conflicts in neighbouring Marsabit county and terrorism activities.
“There are illegal mining activities going on in Kom that could be funding and supporting some conflicts in Marsabit with some of the resources being channeled to terrorism,” Dr Matiang’i had said.
A section of Isiolo leaders earlier appealed to the government not to close down the mining site claiming that dozens of the residents working there would be rendered jobless.
At the site, sources say, are the miners, brokers and business persons all involved in extraction and selling of the gold as well as an is an elaborate security system headed by militia.
