Women who dominate ore‑processing in Kakamega report that heavy rains flood mining pits, turning access routes into mud and halting gold extraction, while scorching temperatures force them to work bent over stones under a punishing sun.

When processing stops, daily earnings of up to Ksh 3,000 disappear, leaving families with empty cooking pots, delayed school fees and increased debt.

Mercury used in gold extraction poses serious health hazards; the World Health Organization flags nervous, digestive, immune, lung, kidney, skin and eye damage, especially for women and children in artisanal mining.

Senior occupational safety officer Isaac Maindi says climate change amplifies existing chemical, heat and disease risks, urging protective equipment and safer technologies to reduce exposure.

Heavy rains also mobilise mining waste, carrying mercury‑laden sludge to homes, farms and rivers, exposing women—who traditionally collect water—to contaminated water sources.

Abandoned shafts become unstable during rains, leading to erosion and loss of arable land, which undermines farming as a safety net when mining income falls.

A citizen‑led deliberative process organized by the Girls to Women Organization (GtoW) gathered 120 participants—mostly women—to discuss mining, climate impacts and health, producing 34 recommendations, 25 of which were prioritised for a County Citizen Assembly.

Key recommendations include safer chemical management, tree planting, back‑filling abandoned shafts, relocating leaching plants away from residences, and improving access to clean water and health services.

County officials, including Environment Director Anthony Munanga and Chief Officer Bill Silingi, said the recommendations will be considered as Kakamega reviews its Climate Change Action Plan 2023‑2027, though implementation will need additional funding and coordination with national agencies.