Shepherd looking for his missing goat finds natural gold worth $280 at a remote village in Africa; now 10,000 miners have arrived there hoping to find more gold

A shepherd in western Kenya made a lucky discovery while searching for his missing goat. Manasse Lomachar, 33, came across women panning for gold near a seasonal riverbed and joined them. He eventually found about three grams of gold and sold it for 36,000 Kenyan shillings, or roughly $280, according to the BBC.

The small discovery has since helped turn the remote village of Cheporor into an unexpected gold rush site. Local officials estimate that around 10,000 people arrived at the height of the rush, digging through the land and searching the riverbed for signs of the precious metal.

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How one missing goat led to a gold discovery

Lomachar told the BBC that he had been looking for his missing goat when he came across a group of women panning along a seasonal riverbed. He joined them and found gold in the area.

His three-gram find became particularly important after he sold it for 36,000 Kenyan shillings. News of the sale spread quickly, convincing people that the remote area could contain much more gold.

But local authorities say his discovery may not have been the only reason behind the rush.

Samuel Kiarie, the deputy commissioner of West Pokot County, told the BBC that young men made what appeared to be a substantial discovery, followed by another significant find by women in the same area. The reports then spread, with rumours making the discoveries sound even larger.

Thousands are now digging for their own lucky find

People from different parts of Kenya and neighbouring Uganda have travelled to Cheporor hoping to repeat Lomachar's success.

Some dig into the rocky ground with hoes and shovels, while others carry the soil to the seasonal river and wash it in bowls, looking for tiny traces of gold. More experienced miners have started digging deeper holes and drilling into rocks.

For many of them, even a small discovery could make a major difference.

Patrick Lokolia, a farmer and herder from a nearby village, told the BBC that he joined the rush because he has children in school and struggles to pay their fees. Eighteen-year-old Abigael Chelengat also travelled to the site hoping a gold find could help pay for her education and support her younger siblings.

Gold has been found in the area before. Women had reportedly been panning along the riverbed for years, but usually earned only around $8 to $23 a week from their finds. The larger discoveries reported earlier this month created the excitement that brought thousands of newcomers.

Nobody knows how much gold is actually underground

The biggest question now is whether Cheporor really has enough gold to support a large-scale mining operation.

Officials have confirmed that small quantities of gold have been found, but they do not yet know the size of the deposit or whether it can be commercially mined. Individual discoveries have reportedly ranged from a few hundred Kenyan shillings to one find valued at about 78,000 shillings, or roughly $600.

Several truckloads of material have already gone to nearby Ortum for processing, with authorities waiting for the results.

Kiarie told the BBC that the rush partly grew because reports of the early discoveries became exaggerated as they spread. That drew people with little or no mining experience to the site, many of whom have since left after failing to find gold.

A new village has appeared around the mining site

The gold rush has changed more than just the landscape.

Local officials say more than 200 businesses have appeared around the site to serve the sudden population. Vendors now sell water, food, bread, milk and other basic supplies to miners and visitors.

But the sudden influx has also exposed how little infrastructure the remote area has. The site has no piped water and limited sanitation, while people arriving from outside often have nowhere proper to stay.

Irene Ameja, who travelled from neighbouring Baringo County to sell food and drinks, told the BBC that people at the site struggle to find clean water for drinking and bathing. She also raised concerns about the safety of women staying overnight in an area where most of the temporary residents are men.

Authorities have increased security patrols and deployed public health officials because of concerns about disease, sanitation and the safety of women and girls. Officials are also worried that children could join the mining activity instead of returning to school when the new term begins.

For now, Lomachar hopes the discovery can bring something more lasting to his community.

He told the BBC that the government should help local miners use safer and better ways to search for minerals, including metal detectors. For a village where many homes still have thatched roofs, he hopes the sudden interest in its land can eventually improve people's lives rather than become just another short-lived rush.