Nairobi, Jan. 6 -- A Sh622 million revenue dispute between the government and Chinese-owned Bao Gold Hill Kenya Limited over gold mining fields in Narok County has escalated to the Court of Appeal, which has suspended mining activities pending a full hearing.

The court intervened after the State warned that continued mining by Bao Gold Hill would lead to irreversible loss of public resources and expose the Exchequer to unpaid royalties and land rent amounting to hundreds of millions of shillings.

"If the respondent (Bao Gold) is allowed to extract minerals pending the determination of the intended appeal, the orders granted would be irreversible," the court ruled, noting that once minerals are depleted, they cannot be recovered.

The de...