One person killed in violent clash at Marsabit gold mines

One person has been killed following a confrontation between police officers manning Hillo gold mines in Moyale, Marsabit County, and miners.

The 19-year-old succumbed to gunshot wounds while receiving treatment at a hospital within Moyale town, according to security sources.

A confrontation ensued while the officers were flushing out hundreds of miners who had invaded the mines that were closed by the government in March this year.

Members of the public alleged that another person was shot dead and his body carried by the miners from the site.

Marsabit County Criminal Investigations officer Luka Tumbo confirmed the Tuesday morning incident.

"The miners tried to rescue their colleagues resulting in a confrontation where one of them was seriously injured and died later while receiving treatment," he told Radio Jangwani FM.

A total of 34 suspects including Kenyan and Ethiopian nationals were arrested during the operation.

The incident comes less than a week after more officers were deployed to guard the mines following a surge in violent confrontations between the miners and security officers.

Seven people including a police officer have been killed in the last three weeks with the past two incidents that claimed six lives occurring in five days.

Security officers were deployed to enforce the ban immediately after it took effect on March 14, with the sites described as dangerous and disturbed.

The ban, the government said, was to prevent the escalation of violence and criminal activities in the area, ostensibly due to a spate of grave security breaches.

Cases of rape, defilement, and gender-based violence had been reported at the sites, and the government said armed criminals were facilitating trade in narcotics in the area.