Gold Rush or Land Rush? Kakamega Residents Resist Eviction Over Sh683 Billion Gold Find
When news broke that a British mining firm had struck gold worth a staggering KSh 683 billion in the quiet villages of Isulu and Bushiangala in Kakamega County, the country buzzed with excitement. Politicians smelled opportunity, investors saw potential, and the locals saw bulldozers.
Deep in the rolling green hills of Ikolomani Constituency, life has always been simple, families farming ancestral land, tending to livestock, and practicing small-scale gold panning using time-honored methods. But ever since Shanta Gold Kenya Limited, a subsidiary of the UK-based Shanta Gold PLC, announced the discovery of high-grade gold deposits beneath their soil, the community has been living under a cloud of anxiety and resistance.
The company’s exploration revealed over 1.27 million ounces of gold with an average grade of 11.43 grams per ton, making it one of the richest deposits ever found in East Africa. This discovery placed Kenya squarely on the global gold map, and Shanta Gold has made no secret of its ambition to begin large-scale extraction as soon as possible.
But for the residents of Isulu and Bushiangala, that announcement wasn’t a celebration, it was a warning. More than 8,000 residents have expressed open resistance to any relocation plans. The company’s feasibility study indicated that mining operations would require about 337 acres of land, displacing around 800 households. Six potential resettlement sites have been proposed, but locals say they were never properly consulted.
“We’ve lived here for generations. Our parents are buried here. You can’t just tell us to pack up and go because someone found gold,” said one local elder during a community meeting.
The residents claim that the company has not provided clear compensation details, alternative land options, or livelihood restoration programs. They fear losing not just homes, but the very identity of their community, their farms, shrines, and graves that hold generations of history.
The Kakamega County Government has found itself walking a tightrope. On one hand, the gold discovery promises jobs, revenue, and development in a region long neglected. On the other, it risks igniting social unrest if communities feel cheated or coerced. Governor Fernandes Barasa has publicly warned mining companies against bulldozing residents off their ancestral lands without proper consultation, fair compensation, and humane relocation plans. His administration has demanded that all negotiations be done transparently and in line with Kenya’s Mining Act and Environmental Management and Coordination Act.
Kenya need only look across its borders to understand the stakes. In countries like the Democratic Republic of Congo and Tanzania, gold rushes have too often led to displacement, environmental ruin, and conflict rather than prosperity. Without robust safeguards, Kakamega’s new fortune could turn into a familiar curse, where a few become billionaires while the original landowners sink deeper into poverty.
For now, the Isulu-Bushiangala residents remain firm: no relocation until their voices are heard. Their stand is not merely about resisting development, it’s about demanding dignity and inclusion. After all, gold may glitter, but to those who call this land home, nothing shines brighter than justice.