Extractivism, Profits and People: Environmental, Social and Economic Costs of Fluorspar Mining In Kerio Valley, Kenya

This paper examines the disruptive effect of resource extraction through fluorspar mining in Kerio-Valley. Focus is on how this process sparked off economic contestations, intense ecological crisis, and heightened social tensions. The discovery and subsequent mining of Fluorspar deposits in Kerio Valley has created economic opportunities and caused profound challenges for the indigene Keiyo community. Mineral extraction has caused environmental degradation, deforestation, water contamination, cultural desecration, and land dilapidation, which has adversely affected local agriculture and biodiversity. One thousand four hundred families have suffered the disruption of traditional livelihoods occasioning food shortage and hunger, leading to the cultural disintegration of a once vibrant and self-sustained community. Despite government efforts to manage these impacts through various policies and partnerships with multinational corporations, the socio-ecological crises persist. Using grounded theory, this paper argues that the benefits of fluorspar mining is negated by the long-drawn demands for adequate compensation, pollution, and social upheaval. This paper recommends a re-evaluation of governance frameworks and corporate practices in the extractive sector.