The Principal Secretary Ministry of Mining, Elija Mwangi in the middle together with other regional mining officers at the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development Nairobi today. Photo: Benard Mulwa
By Benard Mulwa
Financial management and other critical reforms in the Mining sector are underway, the Principal Secretary for Mining, Blue Economy and Maritime Affairs has today announced during the capacity building seminar for the regional mining officers in Nairobi.
Speaking at a press conference today, the PS said the government is looking at options of how to monetize and get revenue from mineral resources, the Ministry is continuing carrying out mapping of mineral resources and by the end of May this year the ministry will consider twenty four counties in confirmation of the quantities and qualities of mineral resources adding that both strategic and other minerals were identified during the national airborne geophysics survey where ninety seven minerals occurrences were identified, so that as a government can be able to know its resources.
The PS also disclosed that the small scales, medium scales, large scales and the Artisanal will be required to work with the regulations in place issues of licensing, “ so far we have received one thousand seven hundred and fifty six applications which are in deferent phases of evaluations,” he said, adding that the twenty seven artisanal committee which has been gazetted across the country must fast-track the process of granting artisanal licensing so that going forward, there should no issues of illegal mining as a results of luck of the necessary documents from the ministry.
The Artisanal who have been formalized in to cooperatives
So far have looked at six hundred applications and hope all the applications shall be cleared earnestly.
The Ministry has considered capacity building of artisanal mining committee so that as they grant the incensing they know to what extent their mandate is.
There are extensive discussions on illegal extraction and processing without paper work, in the month of April carried out operations, where by thirty eight foreigners and locals were arrested, “ this week we are in Samburu county, we are planning to do this exercise in each and every county,” he said have also discussed about mineral testing laboratory, and so far the ministry have procured equipments valued at six hundred million so that can revamp the main Madini house to an International standard and are also setting testing laboratory across the country.
The issues of value addition were also discussed and the ministry has written to each county government so that to give land to that national government for setting up mineral processing plant.
The Ministry has been allocated two hundred and seven million from the exchequer to facilitate all regions on issues of enforcement in order to achieve its mandate.