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Nyong’o suspends quarrying activities in Kisumu after death of four brothers
09th February, 2026 11:07 PM
Kisumu Governor Anyang’ Nyong’o has ordered the immediate suspension of all quarrying activities across the county following the tragic drowning of four children from one family at an abandoned quarry in Kudho area, Kisumu Central Sub-County.
In a sombre press statement issued on Monday, February 9, 2026, while condoling the bereaved family, the governor said the ban covers all quarrying operations, including murram and sand harvesting, until strict safety and environmental standards are met.
The four boys, aged between nine and fourteen years, drowned while swimming in the water-filled quarry, an incident that has sparked renewed concern over abandoned and unregulated excavation sites within residential areas.
Governor Nyong’o said only quarry and mining operations with valid legal approvals and demonstrable, enforceable safety standards would be considered for resumption.
“No mining or quarrying activity shall be permitted to operate without a clearly approved, time-bound land rehabilitation and restoration plan to ensure that excavated sites do not remain hazardous to the public,” he said.
The governor further directed the County Department of Environment, working jointly with the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) and the Office of the County Commissioner, to immediately form a multi-agency task force.
According to the directive, the task force will conduct a comprehensive audit of all existing quarries in the county, enforce full compliance with the law, and take firm legal action against individuals or entities operating illegally or in violation of safety and environmental regulations.
Describing the incident as preventable, Nyong’o lamented that the loss of the four children had deeply affected the entire county.
“It is a grievous loss to the Kudho Primary School community, to the people of Kisumu Central Sub-County, and indeed to the entire county. In these children, we have lost future professionals, leaders, and servants of our society. Their deaths diminish us all,” he said.
The governor added that the presence of open, unregulated, and unsafe quarries within communities is unacceptable, noting that the safety of children and citizens cannot be compromised by negligence, disregard for the law, or irresponsible exploitation of the environment.
On behalf of the County Government of Kisumu, Nyong’o conveyed his heartfelt condolences to Felix Okoth, the father of the deceased children, and his family.
“We owe it to the memory of these four young boys to act decisively and responsibly, so that no other family in Kisumu County is subjected to such unbearable grief,” he said.
He also prayed for comfort and strength for the bereaved family as the county mourns the loss of the young lives.
