Nyandarua Senator John Methu has questioned why the Moyale (Hillo) Gold Mines in Marsabit County remain closed four months after President William Ruto reportedly directed that they be reopened, accusing the government of failing to act on its own directive.
Methu raised the concerns in a statement posted on Facebook on Wednesday, September 9, 2026, following a meeting with DCP National Executive Council member for the Mt Kenya North–Upper Eastern Region, Yussuf Huka Jillo, and Marsabit elder Hussein Jama, popularly known as Larus.
‘Why has Ruto’s order not been implemented?’
According to Methu, the two leaders expressed concern over the continued closure of the mines and the apparent failure by government agencies to implement the President’s reported directive.
“On behalf of the people of Moyale and Marsabit, we are asking why President William Ruto’s directive to reopen the Moyale (Hillo) Gold Mines has not been implemented?” Methu said.
The senator said the reported presidential order had raised hopes among residents who expected mining operations to resume under a regulated framework that would create jobs and revive economic activity in the region.
He argued that reopening the mines could provide much-needed employment, restore livelihoods and allow communities in Marsabit to benefit directly from the mineral wealth found in the area.
However, Methu said four months had passed since the reported directive, yet the mines remained effectively closed, prompting questions over what he described as a growing implementation gap.
Senator warns of ‘bureaucratic files’
Methu said the delay should no longer be viewed as a routine administrative matter, arguing that prolonged inaction risked undermining public confidence in government directives.
“A presidential directive cannot be announced with great fanfare only to disappear into bureaucratic files,” he said.
The senator also raised concerns over who stands to benefit from the region’s mineral resources if mining operations resume.
He claimed that local residents had for years watched outsiders and illegal operators benefit from natural resources in the area while communities living around the mines continued to face economic hardship.
Call for locals to benefit from mining wealth
Methu called for any reopening of the Moyale gold mines to be accompanied by clear safeguards to ensure that local communities benefit from the industry.
He warned against a situation where mineral wealth is controlled by politically connected individuals, cartels or foreign interests at the expense of residents.
The senator said communities in Marsabit should have a meaningful stake in the economic opportunities generated by mining, including employment, local businesses and other forms of development.
‘The people now demand implementation’
The DCP official said residents were no longer looking for additional promises but wanted the government to act on the reported presidential directive.
“President Ruto gave the order. The people now demand implementation,” he said.
The remarks have renewed pressure on the government to clarify the status of the Moyale (Hillo) Gold Mines, why the reopening has been delayed and whether any formal process is currently under way to resume mining operations.
The mines have previously attracted government and parliamentary attention over safety, regulation and the management of mineral resources in Marsabit County.
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