In some Kenyan states, sand mining by organized crime mobsters is a big problem. In Makueni County, however, the local government has found a way to reduce people from removing the sand from dry river beds. Kenya is building more and more, and sand is indispensable for the creation of glass and concrete. One can make quite some money by mining and selling the thick grains of Makueni sand.
For Dutch TV broadcaster RTL Nieuws, Africa correspondent Saskia and I created a report on why illegal sand mining is such a big issue, and how some county’s are putting it to a stop.