Two die in mining tragedies

Two people were killed in separate mining-related incidents in Machakos and Siaya on Thursday.

In Machakos County, two men died after a wall collapsed at a sand harvesting site in Athi River South Sub-County.

Police said the victims, aged 48 and 37, were among a group of five people who had gone to the site to harvest sand when the structure collapsed, burying them.

Officers who responded to the scene recovered the bodies, which had suffered injuries including broken legs and head trauma.

The incident once again raises concerns about safety at informal mining and sand harvesting sites, where workers and other members of the public can be exposed to unstable ground and collapsing structures.

A similar tragedy was reported in Siaya County, where a 12-year-old Grade Six pupil died after being trapped when a gold mining site collapsed at Ojalo village.

Police said the boy was playing with other children near the mining area when the ground gave way. Members of the public retrieved his body from the heap of soil before officers arrived.

The deceased had no visible external injuries, according to police, and his body was taken to the Siaya County Referral Hospital mortuary pending an autopsy.

Such accidents raise questions about enforcement of safety regulations, protection of workers and fencing or securing hazardous extraction areas.

Elsewhere, a political gathering in Homa Bay turned violent after a confrontation between supporters of parliamentary aspirant Dr Enosh Pollo and a rival group.

Police said a 12-year-old boy was shot in the head during the confrontation at Sofia Estate. He was taken to Homa Bay County Teaching and Referral Hospital before being referred to Jaramogi Odinga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital in Kisumu for specialised treatment.

Pollo and two alleged bodyguards were arrested following the incident and placed in custody pending investigations.

Police said a pistol and two magazines containing 29 rounds of ammunition in total were recovered from Pollo. A communication radio was also recovered from one of the alleged bodyguards.

The arrests come amid heightened political activity as prospective candidates position themselves ahead of the 2027 General Election.

In Kisumu, police and detectives also arrested two men during a raid in the Gita area and recovered a firearm alongside items including military-style clothing, boots, a police reflector jacket, a siren, pangas, bows and arrows and other equipment.

The suspects were detained pending court proceedings, with detectives continuing investigations into the origin and intended use of the recovered items.

Another firearm was recovered in Matungulu, Machakos County, after a farmer discovered a pistol buried under soil while cultivating his land. Police said the firearm, together with 30 rounds of ammunition, was later established to be one allegedly stolen from a police officer’s house in 2025.

In Mandera, a multi-agency security team arrested a man at Mandera Military Airport over questions surrounding an identity document he was carrying while preparing to travel to Nairobi. Authorities said investigations would establish his identity and the circumstances under which he acquired the document.

Meanwhile, Nyamira police are investigating an arson incident in which five cattle were burnt to death in a cowshed in Riamoni village. Four of the animals were reportedly Friesian cows, with their combined value estimated at more than Sh400,000, while a calf was valued at about Sh20,000. The cowshed was also destroyed.