Seven Chinese nationals have been sentenced to serve seven years in jail for conducting unlawful mining in Kenya.
The seven were charged at the Kapenguria Law Courts for unlawful mining along the Wei-Wei River in Sigor, Pokot Central Sub-County.
The accused – Wang Youping, Xian Zhenming, He Zhouming, Wang Xiaodong, Zhao Zhenwei, Guan Qiang, and Deng Chun – were nabbed on February 12, 2025, during a joint operation by the Mining Investigations Unit and officials from the Ministry of Mining, Blue Economy and Maritime Affairs.
The team discovered ongoing unlicensed mining activities, recovered several machines and vehicles used at the site, and confirmed that the accused lacked valid licences, according to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP).
They also established that two of the accused – Xian Zhenming and Deng Chun – were in the country without work permits or alien registration, with mineral samples from the site testing positive for quartz.
Appearing before the court on Thursday last week, all seven pleaded guilty before Principal Magistrate Nelly Kenei.
Each was fined Ksh3 million for unlawful mining and Ksh400,000 for working without permits, or serve a year in prison for each offence.
Additionally, two of them were fined Ksh200,000 for unlawful presence or serve six months in default.
They will be repatriated to their country upon completion of their sentences, with all the sentences set to run consecutively.
The developments come at a time when Kenyan agencies have heightened the war on foreigners engaging in unlawful activities within the territorial boundaries.
On April 14, four individuals, including two Belgian nationals, a Vietnamese citizen, and a Kenyan, pleaded guilty to charges of unlawful possession and trade in live queen ants.
The two Belgians were arraigned before the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport Law Courts after being nabbed on April 5, 2025, at a guest house in the Lake View area of Naivasha, Nakuru County, while in possession of live queen ants.
The two were found in possession of approximately 5,000 live queen ants stored in 2,244 tubes, with an estimated street value of Ksh1 million, according to the ODPP.
