Where caves and cement clash

An exterior view of the caves in the Chasimba area of Kilifi County, Kenya. The community’s victory stands out in a region where mining companies are rapidly redrawing the landscape. — Brian Otieno/The New York Times

BENEATH the black rocks of eastern Kenya, the land splits open into a secret underworld – a labyrinth of caves formed over millions of years.

In their cool chambers, where violet flowers bloom in the dark and the bones of ancestors were found, the Chonyi people whisper prayers, make offerings and tie ribbons to stone walls to summon spirits.