Chinese gold miner dies in Siaya mine pit

Detectives are investigating an incident where a 59-year-old Chinese national died after reportedly losing consciousness and falling inside a gold mine pit in Rarieda, Siaya County.

Jiang Minqiao was working at the Armlight Gold Mining Site One in Lumba Village, South Ramba Sub-Location, North Asembo Location, when the incident occurred early Wednesday.

According to police, Jiang and another Chinese national had reported for duty at the gold mine at about 10pm on Tuesday.

At around 1.39am on Wednesday, the two were ascending from a mine pit measuring approximately 147 feet deep when Jiang reportedly lost consciousness and fell.

Police said the incident occurred when the two were about two metres from the ground.

Jiang sustained serious injuries to his head, hands and both legs and died at the scene.

The scene was processed and documented as investigations into the circumstances surrounding the death continued.

Jiang’s body was transferred to the Aga Khan Hospital mortuary in Kisumu pending a postmortem examination.

Such deaths have been on the rise at gold mining sites amid efforts to address the same.

Officials say most miners ignore safety issues at the sites which exposes workers at large.

This has led to an increase in deaths and injuries of workers.

Officials say there is a campaign to address the menace.

And police in Ugunja, Siaya County, launched investigations into the murder of a 36-year-old casual worker whose body was found lying in a pool of blood along a road in Got Osimbo village.

The deceased, identified as Kennedy Odhiambo Obonyo, was found on Tuesday, September 1, 2026, along the Got Osimbo–Bar Atheng road.

Police who visited the scene found Obonyo’s lifeless body on the road with multiple fresh cuts to the head, which investigators believe were inflicted using a sharp object.

The motive for the killing had not been established, police said on Thursday.

Officers processed the scene for evidence before the body was moved to the Ambira Level IV Hospital mortuary in Ugunja, where it is being preserved pending a postmortem examination.

Detectives are investigating the circumstances surrounding the killing and are seeking to establish the events leading to Obonyo’s death and identify those responsible.