Mining Communities Call For Reforms in the Sector
Hearty Nyatike MP Tom Odege
Nakuru town East Mp, Hon. David Gikaria has termed mining sector as a key contributor to the growth of Kenyan economy.
He was speaking in Nyatike, Migori County during a public participation exercise on two bills being undertaken by the Departmental Committee on Environment, Forestry and Mining. Similar exercise was happening simultaneously in Tana River by a section of the committee members.
The two bills under consideration Mining (Amendment) Bill, 2023 and the Gold Processing Bill, 2023.
“Government is intending to construct factories within the mining zones to offer value addition in order to fetch more income to the miners and the country at large,” said Hon. Gikaria.
Local miners voiced their long-standing dependence on mining as a primary economic activity, dating back generations.
Migori county at large has traces of gold deposits and many people living in the area depend on gold mining for survival.
Due to archaic ways used to extract gold from the deep mines, many miners find themselves at the risk of loosing lives due to perennial cases of collapsing mines.
Concerns were also raised about exploitation by foreign entities purchasing unprocessed gold from locals. The committee assured residents that the proposed bill would address such challenges by introducing regulatory bodies to oversee the sector.
Miners also expressed support for the establishment of Mining Regulation Authority. They stressed the importance of their inclusion in its membership to ensure a comprehensive understanding of the sector dynamics and challenges.
Locals have also asked government to review downwards rates charged to obtain mining licenses and reduce time taken to process applied permits. This will enable artisanal miners to acquire the licenses and consequently lower the number of illegal mines within the mining zones.
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