A gold rush has taken hold in Cheporor village in West Pokot county (a rural region in western Kenya bordering Uganda), after reports of significant gold discoveries in early August drew thousands of prospectors to the area. Local officials say the rush was triggered when young men and women unearthed unusually large quantities of gold along a seasonal riverbed, with finds reportedly ranging in value from a few dollars to around $600 — though exaggerated rumours inflated expectations and drew in some 2,500 people, many with no mining experience. The rapid influx has strained an area with virtually no infrastructure, prompting public health and security deployments amid concerns over sanitation, sexual violence, and the risk of children dropping out of school to join the search.