Case Summary: Coal Mining in Mui Basin, Kenya

A coal mining concession in Kenya's Mui Basin, awarded to Chinese companies, threatens the livelihoods of approximately 100,000 people in Kitui County through large-scale evictions and environmental risks. The project disproportionately affects women, who face health risks from water pollution and limited decision-making power over land. Despite a 2015 court ruling in favor of the government, the court mandated greater community consultation and participation regarding compensation and resettlement.

• The coal mining concession in the Mui Basin, awarded in 2010 to the Chinese company Jung‘u and its subsidiary Fenxi Mining Industry Ltd, is expected to cause the forced eviction of at least 100,000 people from their ancestral land.
• The mining project is expected to have a disproportionate impact on women due to their role in water collection, their limited control over land compared to men, and fears that temporary laborers may increase prostitution and sexually transmitted diseases among young girls.
• Local communities and civil society organizations, including the Law Society of Kenya and the Katiba Institute, sued the Kenyan government and the mining company in 2012 over violations of the right to information, Free, Prior and Informed Consent, and the right to a clean and healthy environment.
• An October 2015 court ruling favored the government but imposed conditions requiring the National and County Governments and the Liaison Committee to ensure greater community participation in consultations and the addressing of compensation issues.

APA

Center for International Environmental Law (2015). Case Summary: Coal Mining in Mui Basin, Kenya. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Coal-mining-disrupts-peoples-livelihoods-in-Mui-basin-Kenya.pdf

Chicago

Center for International Environmental Law. Case Summary: Coal Mining in Mui Basin, Kenya. 2015. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Coal-mining-disrupts-peoples-livelihoods-in-Mui-basin-Kenya.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Center for International Environmental Law |title=Case Summary: Coal Mining in Mui Basin, Kenya |date=November 2015 |url=https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Coal-mining-disrupts-peoples-livelihoods-in-Mui-basin-Kenya.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{centerforinternationalenvironmentallaw2015case, author = {{Center for International Environmental Law}}, title = {{Case Summary: Coal Mining in Mui Basin, Kenya}}, institution = {Center for International Environmental Law}, year = {2015}, month = nov, url = {https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Coal-mining-disrupts-peoples-livelihoods-in-Mui-basin-Kenya.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }