Lomeguro: Turkana's most prominent gold mining site, Lomeguro, has undergone a fresh round of assessment as the county government and partners push for its safe reopening, following months of closure. A joint delegation met with the Deputy Governor Dr. John Erus in a courtesy call to discuss lessons learned, safety guidelines, progress, best practice, and planned activities ahead of the assessment.
According to Kenya News Agency, the assessment was led by the Directorate of Mining in collaboration with Oil and Gas Group Kenya and Solidardad. It was designed to review progress made on compliance with the government's safety, environmental, and community inclusion measures. A government directive led to the closure for several months after a series of tragic accidents, community complaints over safety, and environmental degradation.
Speaking during the exercise, Director of Mining Merimug Eloto stated that the county is committed to ensuring that operations at Lomeguro meet the required regulations while adhering to global best practices. "Our interest is to ensure that mining activities here are safe, environmentally sound, and inclusive of the community. This is the basis on which reopening decisions will be made," Eloto said.
He noted that while the closure had affected livelihoods, the county was working with partners and artisanal miners to ensure a structured and safe return to mining. "Joint assessments like this provide critical information for decision-making, and highlight gaps our partners can fill to support artisanal miners," the director added.
According to Engineer Cyrus Jonde, a consultant with the Oil and Gas Group Kenya, the latest findings showed notable improvement from previous inspections, an indication of the operators' commitment to compliance. Augustine Masiga of Solidardad emphasized the importance of stronger environmental safeguards, noting that efforts must continue to reverse land degradation and secure long-term sustainability.
The assessment covered drilling operations, environmental controls, and community participation. The findings will inform the county's next steps toward reopening the mine. Similar assessments are expected to continue across other mines in Turkana, including Nagetei and Locheromoit, among others.
Wito Wario, a Geologist; Elim Areman, Deputy Director Mining; Jafred Lomongin, area Village Administrator; and Locham Ngitira Alfred, the area chief, were also present.