Sand quarries in Barut, Rhonda Estate will be closed down to avert cases of landslides ahead of the El Nino rains, County Commissioner Mr Joshua Nkanatha has said.
Speaking on Wednesday, Nkanatha said the county government had no choice but to close down the mines after sand harvesters refused to vacate them.
"Cases of landslides are real in the area, going by the dangerous depth the harvesters have dug in search of sand. We issued a warning that they leave the business until the rains subside but now we have no choice but to shut them down because the minors just won't go away," he said.
Some residents in the area are living in anxiety due to the ongoing mining despite the heavy downpour currently pounding the town.
Victor Chelimo, whose house is 50 metres from the Kindaruma quarry said they do experience tremor-like movements when lorries pass near the area, an indication of how loose the soil has become.
Sometimes the ground really shakes and we fear for the worst in light of the El Nino rains because the miners have flatly refused to heed to the area chief's directive to vacate," he said.
If the government makes good its threat to close down the quarries then majority of the youth living in the semi urban settlement could become jobless as most of them engage in the sand mining business.