Gold discovery brings Nandi back to life

The discovery of one of the world’s most prized minerals — gold — is opening golden opportunities for villagers at Kapsaos location, Aldai in Nandi County.

Kapsaos is slowly turning into a hive of activity as residents seize opportunities to extract the resource from their hilly and rocky farms to generate additional income from the traditional maize, coffee and livestock farming.

Their anxiety has also been heightened by the notion that their farms harbour gold, which can improve their fortunes.

With loads of soil carried on their heads, backs or wheelbarrows, men and women brave the high temperatures as they meander through the footpaths and flock the improvised processing facility where they queue as their products are crushed in turns.

Lands Executive Dr John Chumo said an inventory done to establish which regions are potential for gold production identified Kapsaos, Chemelil and Chemase along the Nandi escarpment.

“These regions have potential and prospecting in some areas is currently being done at a small-scale level,” he said