Mr. Misenya works with the county government of Migori as the director in charge of natural resources. We first interacted with him during our curtsey visits to his offices in Migori when we were looking for appointments to meet with the County Executive Committee member in his docket. We have also had forums with him attending ie the national dialogue forum for artisanal miners in Kakamega and during the stakeholder’s forums. Mr. Tom Misenya, making a presentation to the group leaders of miners in Migori County Mr. Misenya had the following to say in this forum: “Before the coming of NCCK, in 2016, the mining sector was totally disorganized. We in the county government did not know how to engage…

Mr. Alwar is a member of Ayiego miners group. We also met him through the community awareness forums that we conducted in 2016. In November 2016, we organized a group leader’s training where the miners formed an interim team of leaders that helped in coming up with the umbrella association of artisanal miners. Mr. Alwar was elected as the youth representative to that committee. Bearing in mind that Mr. Alwar is a native guy from Nyatike who had never been to Migori before his election to the committee was a whole new level of achievement. Subsequently when we had a national artisanal miners’ forum in Kakamega, Mr. Alwar was part of the team. He confessed how delighted he was since…

Mr. Alfayo is the secretary to the Osiri Community Welfare Group. We met him in July 2016 during our community engagement forums and he has participated in a number of our other activities. At some point when we had a joint monitoring visit from the Haki Madini team in May this year, Alfayo was very instrumental in taking the team through what NCCK had done. At first we noted him to be a quiet person who never spoke much in meetings. However, over time, Alfayo has come out to represent the group in many meetings and his contribution has been amazing. Mr. Aflayo (standing in black jacket) making a presentation during the group leaders meeting Quoting his words during the…

Bismarck is one of the miners in Masara area of Migori County. He came to the project through his group called MICODEPRO in which he is the chairman. We have had several meetings with his team and build their capacity on the mining laws as well as other contemporary issues affecting the miners. During the group leader’s meeting held on the 12th of October 2017, he came up strongly and said the following words: “NCCK has helped us to understand the 2016 mining Act. Before this, we had cap 306. The new act recognizes that there are artisanal miners. NCCK has also taken us to forums in Kakamega and other places. NCCK has also brought us together and we have…

Mr. Steve Ayaka is a resident of Migori County and an artisanal miner. His engagement in the copper mining processes within the County has helped him cater for the needs of his family. With a group of friends, he engages in exploiting the tailings of an old copper mine in the region that is still able to produce some minerals on a small scale. While he has been engaged in mining for a long time, Mr. Ayaka has had been part of a loose network of miners who have come together to address common problems that affect them. This group has morphed into a savings and cooperative (Sacco) named Copperhill Sacco. The group had been keen to follow on the…

Migori County is located in the southwestern part of Kenya. It borders Homa Bay, Kisii and Narok counties and the United Republic of Tanzania. The county has 8 sub-counties: Suna East, Suna West, Nyatike, Kuria East, Kuria West, Awendo, Uriri and Rongo. The county has a huge endowment of mineral resources: these are Gold in Masara, Macalder, Masaba, Kehancha, Kitere, Kimwango (Rongo), Carlos Mines in Kehancha and Prancis Mines in Kuria-Transmara border. Equally Copper, Zarite and Silver are also found in Macalder. Migori County has been doing Artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) mining of Gold and other minerals for a long period of time. Project interventions by The National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK) – NCCK begun implementing the…

David Ouma Sewe is a resident from Mikei sub location, Nyatike sub-county in Migori County. He has been mining gold in Matanda for more than 10 years. A father of three and a teacher by profession, he left teaching before his retirement tenure, when he learnt that he would be self employed and make ends meet.  With the help of a friend, he went and explored and lucky enough he found that special and precious substance on his garden near the river. From the little savings he had from teaching, he sourced more capital from his family and started digging by hiring people. When he dug about 10 ft, he began having some little signs of minerals and at this…