26.08.2026 10:01
A series of events that happened to 33-year-old Manasse Lomachar, who set out to find his missing goat in Kenya, sparked a major rush in the region. Lomachar joined women panning for gold in a riverbed and quickly found about 3 grams of gold, which he sold for 36,000 Kenyan shillings. Following the rumors that spread after Lomachar, who found gold while searching for his goat, thousands of people from Kenya and neighboring Uganda flocked to Cheporor.
Manasse Lomachar, a 33-year-old man who left his home to search for his lost goat, experienced one of the most extraordinary days of his life near Cheporor in western Kenya. While searching for his goat, Lomachar came across women panning for gold in a riverbed, sifting through mud and sand.
Deciding to join the women and try his luck, Lomachar's efforts quickly paid off. Finding approximately 3 grams of gold, Lomachar sold it for 36,000 Kenyan shillings, about 280 dollars. Thus, a journey that began as an ordinary goat search turned into part of a remarkable discovery that attracted attention in the region.
SMALL DISCOVERY SET THOUSANDS IN MOTION
After Lomachar found the gold, rumors began to spread that much larger gold deposits might exist in Cheporor. As the news quickly reached surrounding areas, many people headed to Cheporor in hopes of finding gold.
However, it is noted that the activity in the region did not stem only from the gold Lomachar found. Samuel Kiarie, an official from West Pokot County, said that young men made another discovery believed to be larger, and the next day, information came in that women found a significant amount of gold in the same area.
AMOUNT OF GOLD NOT YET CONFIRMED
It is stated that the accounts regarding the amounts of gold claimed to be found in the region after the initial discoveries have gradually grown. These rumors caused more people to go to Cheporor in a short time.
Despite this, how much gold actually exists in the region and the extent to which the gold deposit is commercially valuable have not yet been confirmed.
With the spread of the gold news, the quiet region quickly turned into a bustling mining site. According to information provided by local authorities, the number of people coming to Cheporor to search for gold reached approximately 10,000 at its peak.
Those coming to Cheporor mostly use simple tools such as picks, shovels, and similar equipment. Gold panners carry the materials they extract from the soil to the riverbed, where they perform the sifting process with the help of water.