This archive report was first published on 27 November 2019.
Base Titanium Limited, an Australian company, has been mining Limentine, Rutile, and Zircon minerals in Kwale County since 2010. However, the company's operations have come under scrutiny as 24 families living around the mining plant have filed a class action suit against the company, the CS Ministry of Petroleum and Mining, the Attorney General, the National Lands Commission, and the CS Ministry of Environment and Forestry.
The petitioners, who reside in Nguluku and Nora villages, are seeking to stop the ongoing mining process due to health complications caused by the mining plant. They claim that the air and water in the region have been contaminated with titanium, leading to irritation and lung infections.
According to Pauline Mwenye, counsel for the petitioners, the company has disregarded the Environmental Management and Coordination Act regulations, which proscribe mining with undue regard for environmental impacts.
Base Titanium has denied the allegations, stating that all initial land owners at the initial mining lease area had been compensated by July 6, 2004. The company also claims that it applied for an area extension in 2018 to include adjacent land portions and additional land required for mining facilities and operations.
The court case is a continuation of a 2001 court order, which was issued to a different company, Tiomin Limited. The order had been ignored by Base Titanium, citing a different company's license.
