Kenya government has warned of firm security crackdown in Ramula, Siaya County, after violence linked to Shanta Gold mining project left two people dead, homes burnt and dozens people displaced, significantly disrupting the rollout of the multi-billion investment by the British firm.

Mining Principal Secretary Harry Kimtai said the state will not tolerate what he described as organised criminality, warning that perpetrators of the violence will be arrested and prosecuted as the country moves to safeguard the key extractive investment.

The unrest, centred at Obwanda a village in East Gem, has seen targeted attacks on households perceived to support the project, with victims fleeing into the night as armed groups torched homes and destroyed livelihoods.

At least five houses have been torched in the village and more than 60 displaced people and property worth millions of shillings, including livestock, destroyed or stolen.

Shanta Gold Community Liaison Officer Francis Obwanda said those affected are currently sheltering in neighbouring homes after losing everything. Among them is 77-year-old Julius Omondi, who now faces life without a home after his house and property went up in flames.

“I was warned by my child that a group was moving from house to house burning them. I had to flee. I have lost everything,” he said.

Speaking in the wake of the violence, the principal secretary linked the attacks to misinformation and what he termed as infiltration by individuals opposed to the project for undisclosed reasons.

“We have a situation where some members of the community are willing to engage and be resettled in line with the law, but a small group is inciting violence and disrupting the process,” he said.

He noted that the attacks appear to specifically target residents who have voluntarily agreed to relocation and compensation packages offered by the investor.

 “That crosses the line from public participation to outright criminality. Burning houses of those who have agreed to move is unacceptable and must be dealt with firmly,” he said.

The violence has already disrupted timelines for the project, forcing the company to seek an extension to commence operations beyond the legally required six-month window after licensing.

“The law is clear on timelines, and while challenges exist, we believe this situation has been aggravated by individuals who do not want the project to proceed,” he said.

Even so, he reiterated that the government will not sanction any forced evictions, maintaining that all relocations must be voluntary, fully compensated and supported by provision of alternative land.

“No one will be moved without compensation and without being settled on land they have chosen. That is the law, and we will enforce it,” he said.

The principal secretary defended the Shanta Gold project as a critical economic undertaking with direct benefits to both Siaya County and the host community.

Under the revenue-sharing framework, the county government stands to receive 20 per cent of royalties, while the local community will get 10 per cent, alongside an additional one per cent of gross gold sales.

“This is a project meant to transform livelihoods. Those sabotaging it are undermining not just the investor, but the economic prospects of the community and the country,” Kimtai said.

In response to the crisis, the principal secretary said the State Department for Mining has deployed officers on the ground to support sustained community engagement and address concerns surrounding the project.

Security agencies, with instructions to track down those behind the killings and arson attacks, have intensified operations in the area.

The tension in Siaya has also cast a shadow over planned expansion of the project into neighbouring Kakamega County in the Isulu-Bushangala belt, where authorities are now ramping up civic education to forestall similar resistance.

Kimtai said the government is working closely with local leaders, including members of county assemblies and MPs, to ensure communities understand both the benefits and legal safeguards tied to mining investments.

• A Tell Media / KNA report / By Chris Mahandara