Point of no return? Illegal sand mining in Kenya

The illicit extraction industry is leaving irreversible scars on ecosystems, lives and livelihoods.

Illegal sand mining involves the complete removal of sand from a source, preventing it from ever fully regenerating. The highly profitable crime is directly associated with violence, and blocks local communities from making an income through sand harvesting. There is little evidence of coherent government responses to the problem.

This seminar will discuss findings from an upcoming ENACT report on sand mining in Kenya. Speakers will share their experiences of its impact on community livelihoods and the ecosystems they depend on, and offer ideas on sustainable ways to harvest sand.

Chair: Dr Sunday Angoma Okello, Advisory Board Member, ENACT, and IGAD/CEWARN Conflict Analyst

Opening remarks: Louis Dey, EU Regional Coordinator for East and Southern Africa, Nairobi

Speakers:

Mohamed Daghar, ENACT Regional Coordinator for Eastern Africa, ISS Nairobi

Jacob Maluki, Senior County and Community Engagement Officer of Athi Basin Area, Water Resources Authority, Kenya

Halinishi Yusuf, Managing Director, Makueni County Sand Conservation and Utilisation Authority, Kenya

Development partners
ENACT is funded by the European Union. ENACT is implemented by the Institute for Security Studies and INTERPOL, in affiliation with the Global Initiative against Transnational Organised Crime. The ISS is also grateful for support from the members of the ISS Partnership Forum: the Hanns Seidel Foundation, the European Union, the Open Society Foundations and the governments of Canada, Denmark, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the USA.
Related content