An Examination of Tacit Knowledge Types Possessed by the Small Scale Gold Miners Towards Sustainability: A Study of Kakamega County, Kenya

Tacit knowledge among the artisanal small scale gold miners of Kakamega County Government remain informal. The accumulated tacit knowledge is at risk of disappearing if it is not identified, organized, stored, and distributed as part of the community heritage. The aim of the study was to examine the types of tacit knowledge possessed by the small scale gold miners for sustainability in Kakamega County, Kenya. The specific objectives were to examine the influence of technical, cognitive and social types of tacit knowledge on sustainability of Gold mining. The study was informed by Meyer and Zack knowledge management model and the theory of sustainable development by Zhang Xiangyi. The study which is qualitative in nature adopted the case study design. The target population was one thousand eight hundred and twenty two (1822) gold miners. The researcher used purposive sampling technique to select the two (2) sub-counties (Ikolomani and Lurambi) in Kakamega County where gold is mined. The researcher further used cluster sampling to sub-divide the 2 sub counties into 26 and 11 mining sites. The sample size was three hundred and thirty five (335) gold miners. Data was collected using in-depth interviews, participant observation, and focus group discussions. Data was analyzed using thematic analysis and presented using tables and graphs. The study established that the small scale gold miners of Kakamega County possess three (3) types of tacit knowledge including technical, cognitive and social tacit knowledge. The study concludes that the technical social and cognitive tacit knowledge enables the small scale gold miners to; identify gold rich areas, safely navigate the mining pits, safely handle the mining tools, safety protocol, identify and develop solutions to the mining problems. The study recommends the capturing storing and sharing of the key tacit knowledge assets for sustainability among the small scale gold miners of Kakamega County, Kenya. The study is expected to assist the small scale gold miners of Kakamega County use their technical, social and cognitive knowledge to foster sustainability. Keywords: Gold mining, Sustainability, Tacit knowledge DOI: 10.7176/IKM/15-1-07 Publication date: July 31st 2025