{"id":27121,"date":"2026-10-01T08:50:56","date_gmt":"2026-10-01T08:50:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thefocuspaper.co.ke\/?p=27121"},"modified":"2026-10-01T09:04:42","modified_gmt":"2026-10-01T09:04:42","slug":"vihiga-farmer-prepares-to-start-again-after-leaving-home-for-gold-mining","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thefocuspaper.co.ke\/index.php\/2026\/10\/01\/vihiga-farmer-prepares-to-start-again-after-leaving-home-for-gold-mining\/","title":{"rendered":"Vihiga farmer prepares to start again after leaving home for gold mining"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In Munugo village in Vihiga County, Samuel Omoro stands beside what remains of his family home, preparing to leave a place he has lived in for more than two decades.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The father of four daughters and grandfather of two is moving to a new home near the border of Luanda and Seme constituencies after his property was acquired to make way for mineral exploration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Omoro said his initial reaction to the arrival of mining company Shanta Gold was one of caution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;When they came here, they promised a lot of things but people were afraid and didn&#8217;t want to hear what they said,&#8221; he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He recalls how the company first encountered his wife during its exploration activities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Omoro later encouraged her to attend community meetings and training sessions organised by the company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;So when we finally engage, we know what we are getting into,&#8221; he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For Omoro, financial literacy became an important part of understanding the compensation process and planning for life after relocation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"931\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" data-src=\"https:\/\/thefocuspaper.co.ke\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/IMG-20261001-WA0002-edited-1024x931.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-27127 lazyload\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/thefocuspaper.co.ke\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/IMG-20261001-WA0002-edited-1024x931.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/thefocuspaper.co.ke\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/IMG-20261001-WA0002-edited-300x273.jpg 300w, https:\/\/thefocuspaper.co.ke\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/IMG-20261001-WA0002-edited-768x698.jpg 768w, https:\/\/thefocuspaper.co.ke\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/IMG-20261001-WA0002-edited-1100x1000.jpg 1100w, https:\/\/thefocuspaper.co.ke\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/IMG-20261001-WA0002-edited-680x618.jpg 680w, https:\/\/thefocuspaper.co.ke\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/IMG-20261001-WA0002-edited-200x182.jpg 200w, https:\/\/thefocuspaper.co.ke\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/IMG-20261001-WA0002-edited-20x18.jpg 20w, https:\/\/thefocuspaper.co.ke\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/IMG-20261001-WA0002-edited.jpg 1399w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><strong><em>Samuel Omoro speaks to journalists before leaving his farm in Munugo village, which was acquired by Shanta Mining Company for gold exploration\/Photo: Chidi Mathew<\/em><\/strong>. <strong><em><br><\/em><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He says training provided by Shanta helped residents learn how to manage money and deal with people outside their community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;Shanta Gold was founded by teachers who taught us how to live with money, how to be friends, and how to work with even strangers,&#8221; he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The sessions covered areas such as financial management and planning, which Omoro said were particularly important for people receiving compensation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;We came to know that this money from Shanta Gold was fair enough, but for other people, it could be a boom,&#8221; he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Omoro says community members were also able to benefit from assistance with land succession processes, including those who lived outside the mining area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He believes the experience showed the importance of engaging with investors and understanding the terms of agreements before making decisions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"684\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" data-src=\"https:\/\/thefocuspaper.co.ke\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/IMG-20261001-WA0005-edited-1-1024x684.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-27131 lazyload\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/thefocuspaper.co.ke\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/IMG-20261001-WA0005-edited-1-1024x684.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/thefocuspaper.co.ke\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/IMG-20261001-WA0005-edited-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/thefocuspaper.co.ke\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/IMG-20261001-WA0005-edited-1-768x513.jpg 768w, https:\/\/thefocuspaper.co.ke\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/IMG-20261001-WA0005-edited-1-1100x734.jpg 1100w, https:\/\/thefocuspaper.co.ke\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/IMG-20261001-WA0005-edited-1-680x454.jpg 680w, https:\/\/thefocuspaper.co.ke\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/IMG-20261001-WA0005-edited-1-200x134.jpg 200w, https:\/\/thefocuspaper.co.ke\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/IMG-20261001-WA0005-edited-1-20x13.jpg 20w, https:\/\/thefocuspaper.co.ke\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/IMG-20261001-WA0005-edited-1.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><strong><em>Construction workers build Samuel Omoro\u2019s new home near the border of Luanda and Seme, where he is expected to begin a new life after moving from Munugo village in Luanda sub-county. \/Photo: Chidi Mathew<br><\/em><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The compensation process also involved public meetings, he says, giving residents an opportunity to raise concerns and engage with the investor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;The government has given people the opportunity to come and talk with the investor through organised public participation forums,&#8221; he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Now that he has received compensation for his property, Omoro is planning his next step.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He hopes to open a posho mill and a small shop near the Luanda-Seme border to provide an income for his family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He also repairs wood-grinding machines, a skill he has developed over many years. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Although he has temporarily put the work on hold while his family settles into their new home, he plans to resume once they are established.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Leaving Munugo has nevertheless been difficult. &#8220;I have lived here for well over 21 years and when they announced that I have to move to pave way for mineral mining, I felt a little pain,&#8221; he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">His former home contains trees he planted himself, including timber and coconut trees. He says these were assessed as part of the compensation process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;All these things, what you see here, the timber trees, the coconut trees that I planted here,&#8221; he said. &#8220;They wrote them all down.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" data-src=\"https:\/\/thefocuspaper.co.ke\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/IMG-20261001-WA0003-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-27132 lazyload\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/thefocuspaper.co.ke\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/IMG-20261001-WA0003-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/thefocuspaper.co.ke\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/IMG-20261001-WA0003-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/thefocuspaper.co.ke\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/IMG-20261001-WA0003-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https:\/\/thefocuspaper.co.ke\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/IMG-20261001-WA0003-1100x1467.jpg 1100w, https:\/\/thefocuspaper.co.ke\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/IMG-20261001-WA0003-680x907.jpg 680w, https:\/\/thefocuspaper.co.ke\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/IMG-20261001-WA0003-200x267.jpg 200w, https:\/\/thefocuspaper.co.ke\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/IMG-20261001-WA0003-20x27.jpg 20w, https:\/\/thefocuspaper.co.ke\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/IMG-20261001-WA0003.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><strong><em>Relatives and neighbours help Samuel Omoro pack his belongings as he prepares to move to a new home after receiving compensation from Shanta Gold\/Photo: Chidi Mathew<\/em><\/strong>. <strong><em><br><\/em><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Omoro says the company told him the items had been included in the agreement and that he would be compensated for them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He now hopes the move will give his family an opportunity to build a new life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">His advice to other residents facing similar changes is to understand the process, learn how to manage any compensation they receive and prepare for life after relocation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;If there is a mutual agreement, you have to learn and re-learn new things. You have to do your business because the government through investors like Shanta Gold will always give you an alternative place to start your life again,&#8221; he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For Omoro, leaving Munugo marks the end of more than 20 years in one community, but also the beginning of a new chapter for his family.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In Munugo village in Vihiga County, Samuel Omoro stands beside what remains of his family home, preparing to leave a place he has lived in for more than two decades. The father of four daughters and grandfather of two is moving to a new home near the border of Luanda and Seme constituencies after his [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":27122,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[68],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-27121","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Vihiga farmer prepares to start again after leaving home for gold mining - The Focus Paper<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/thefocuspaper.co.ke\/index.php\/2026\/10\/01\/vihiga-farmer-prepares-to-start-again-after-leaving-home-for-gold-mining\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Vihiga farmer prepares to start again after leaving home for gold mining - The Focus Paper\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"In Munugo village in Vihiga County, Samuel Omoro stands beside what remains of his family home, preparing to leave a place he has lived in for more than two decades. 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