Dahab-raadinta Cheporor: 10,000 Qof oo ku soo duulay xamaasadda dahabka ee galbeedka Kenya
Helitaanka dahab ah oo ka dhacay deegaanka Cheporor ee gobolka West Pokot, Kenya, ayaa keentay in kumannaan qof oo dahab-doon ah ay ku soo duulaan meesha, iyadoo 200 ganacsi oo cusub oo ka hanaqaaday agagaarka goobta.
Sida dahab-raadintu u bilaabatay
Manasse Lomachar, 33 jir, ayaa saddex garaam oo dahab ah ku iibiyay 36,000 oo shilin Kenyan ah ($280), taasoo keentay in kumannaan qof oo dahab-doon ah ay yimaadaan Cheporor. Kii hore, haweenku sanado badan ka heli jireen dahab yar oo biyaha ka soo baxa, iyagoo toddobaadkii ku kasban jiray $8 ilaa $23.
Samuel Kiarie, ku-xigeenka guddoomiyaha gobolka West Pokot, wuxuu sheegay in dahab-raadintu billaabatay kadib markii rag iyo haweenba ay goobta ka helayeen dahab aad u badan. Wararku markay faafeen, ayaa soo jiidatay dad aan khibrad macdan-qodis lahayn, kuwaas oo rajaynayay inay ku celceliyaan guulihii hore la sheegay.
Dhibaatooyinka iyo fursadaha ganacsiga
Dadka ayaa mararka qaarkood dahab ka raadiya biyaha, balse si dhif ah ayay u helaan wax dahab ah oo qiimo weyn leh. Mugisha Godfrey, macdan-qode ka soo jeeda Uganda, wuxuu ku bixiyay 100,000 oo shilin Uganda ah ($27) si uu Cheporor u gaaro, laakiin wuxuu sheegay in dahab ah ma uusan helin.
In ka badan 200 ganacsi ayaa ka hanaqaaday agagaarka goobta, kuwaas oo dadka cusub ka iibinaya cunto, biyo iyo waxyaabo kale. Irene Ameja, oo ka soo safartay gobolka Baringo, waxay iibisaa biyo, cabitaanno, rooti iyo caano, iyadoo rajaysanaysa inay ganacsigooda ku ballaariyo.
Caafimaad, amniga iyo mustaqbalka
Deegaanka ma hayo biyo nadiif ah, taasoo keentay in haweenku ay dhibaatooyinku ku sii bataan marka mugdigu dhaco. Saraakiisha caafimaadka dadweynaha ayaa loo diray goobta si ay ula socdaan xaaladaha caafimaad, halka roondooyinka ammaanku ay kordheen iyadoo laga walaacsan yahay tacaddiyada galmada.
Iskuulladu waxay isu diyaarinayaan inay dib u furmaan bisha Sebtembar, iyadoo tallaabooyin la qaadayaa si dhalinyarada looga niyad-jabiyo inay goobta sii joogaan. Manasse Lomachar wuxuu codsaday in dowladdu ay ka caawiso macdan-qodayaal qalabka lagu ogaado biraha, si bulshadu u horumarto.
The discovery of gold by 33-year-old Manasse Lomachar in Cheporor, western Kenya, has triggered a massive gold rush drawing thousands of prospectors from Kenya and Uganda to the region.
The Spark That Ignited the Rush
Several weeks ago, Manasse Lomachar sold 3 grams of gold for 36,000 Kenyan shillings ($280), sparking a frenzy in Cheporor. Samuel Kiarie, deputy governor of West Pokot county, believes the rush began after two major discoveries: young men finding large amounts of gold, followed by women recovering significant quantities from riverbeds. Women had been panning for small amounts for years, earning $8 to $23 per week, but the recent finds drew far more attention.
Lomachar joined the search after a group of women showed him gold in the riverbeds. "I joined in, and that is how the village learned that gold exists in this area," he said. The discovery transformed barren land into a site of pits, makeshift camps, and informal mining operations, with approximately 10,000 people arriving during the peak of the rush.
Hope, Hardship, and New Businesses
Farmers and livestock keepers like Patrick Lokolia from Napawoi joined the rush to earn extra income for their families. "I have children in school, and paying for their education was a big challenge," he said. Abigael Chelengat, 18, traveled from a nearby town hoping to find enough gold to cover her own schooling and help her younger sister continue. Meanwhile, more than 200 businesses have sprung up around the site, selling food, water, and other necessities to the new arrivals.
Mugisha Godfrey, a small-scale artisanal miner from Busia, eastern Uganda, spent about 100,000 Ugandan shillings ($27) to travel to Cheporor but has not yet found any gold. "We cannot return until we find something. Only when we get what we need can we go home," he said. Despite the hardships, the area's lack of clean water and basic services has created additional challenges, particularly for women who need safe places to sleep.
Concerns Over Safety and Sustainability
Health officials have been sent to the area to monitor conditions and prevent disease spread, while security patrols have increased due to concerns about sexual assault and the vulnerability of women and girls. Schools are preparing to reopen in September, and steps are being taken to discourage youth from staying at the site during the new school term. The total amount of gold in the ground and whether mining is commercially viable remain unknown.
Lomachar wants the government to help miners with safer and more productive methods of gold prospecting and extraction. He noted that many houses near the site have thatched roofs, indicating poverty in the area. Individual gold finds have ranged from a few hundred Kenyan shillings to one estimated at 78,000 shillings ($600). Since the rush began, the number of prospectors has dropped by about 2,500, as some have given up.
