Taita Sub County Security Committee summons investor and three MPs over irone ore firm

A sub-county security committee has called a meeting between an investor and local leaders following the closure of a mining firm last week

Taita Sub-County Security Committee has summoned the management of Samrudha Resources Company Limited that has been extracting iron ore in the region and three MPs to resolve differences that led to the shutting down of the firm’s operations.

The firm has been extracting iron ore in the past one year until last week when Wundanyi MP Damson Mwashako held a meeting that culminated in its closure amid claims that pertinent issues affecting its workers have not been adequately addressed.

The closure was endorsed by Taita-Taveta Senator Jones Mwaruma, Voi MP Jones Mlolwa and MCAs Newton Kifuso (Wumingu-Kishushe Ward) and his Mgange-Mwanda counterpart Anselim Mwqadime Chao.

Stormy meeting

In a stormy meeting held earlier, the MPs demanded that the investor buys a new bus to ferry workers and construct a washroom at the mining site

But even after the company bought the bus, the workers declined to board it, demanding that local elders be allowed to conduct a fresh staff recruitment.

The investor is now accusing some politicians of inciting workers not to resume duty even after he addressed some of the concerns raised in the meeting.

“I brought the bus to ferry workers to the mining site only for some politicians to block them. I need county and national government protection,” said the company’s director, Shivrage Jadhav.

Yesterday, area deputy county commissioner, Francis Kazungu, chaired a security committee at his Wundanyi office where members resolved to summon the investor and the MPs. 

“We will solve the stalemate once we meet both sides,” he said.