Night raid exposes illegal sand harvesting in Taita Taveta
A night raid by officers from Taita Taveta County enforcement directorate uncovered a massive cartel of illegal sand harvesters who have reportedly been running a clandestine business operation which was banned by Governor Granton Samboja.
The raid revealed how the network of sand harvesters has been operating at night after Governor Samboja imposed a ban on the business following the red flag by environmentalists over increased illegal sand harvesting and making of bricks along rivers across the county.
It emerged that the cartels now carry out the business from past midnight to around 5.00 am.
In a raid led by finance and planning Executive Andrew Kubo alongside the county askaris, authorities discovered the cartel believed to be operating the illegal business in Ngolia, Mto wa Mwagodi, Gimba and SGR stretch along the Voi River.
Two motorists, found ferrying tonnes of sand in several tracks, were arrested and are set to be arraigned.
Speaking when he led the raid, Kubo said despite the ban, the illegal business has continued to expand resulting in not only massive environmental degradation but also denying the county government millions of shillings in revenue.
“As we issue a stern warning to our officers who are playing part of the cartel, it’s also prudent to note that the county is finalising a policy that will address this issue that cuts across the county,” he said.
He added that the finance department has rolled out plans to put in place a policy framework enacted to regulate sand harvesting business in a more organised and structured manner to assist the county realise her own source revenue projections as well as economically empowering groups operating the business.
Some local sand harvesters have been defying the ban on grounds they do not have alternative sources of income.
“We will not relent on our resolve to protect our resources and realising our own source revenue projections. Regulating sand harvesting operations along our riverbanks is something that needs our collective responsibility, ” the executive said.
On Thursday, Governor Samboja issued an executive order to the Enforcement Directorate to be transferred to Finance and Economic Planning Department in a bid to strengthen enforcement in revenue collection and to improve coordination of enforcement of various county laws and regulations.
