By KPC Reporter
The National Government has stepped up efforts to forge strong partnerships with county governments and county assemblies in a bid to unlock mining as a new revenue stream for both levels of government and local communities.
Speaking in Tharaka Nithi during a sensitization forum bringing together the county executive and the county assembly mining committee, Mining and Blue Economy Cabinet Secretary Ali Hassan Joho said the ministry holds extensive geological data indicating the presence of valuable minerals across the country.
He noted that GOLD features prominently in many regions, including Tharaka Nithi and West Pokot.
Joho cited Kakamega County as a case in point, saying that preliminary estimates from Ikolomani show potential revenues of up to USD 6 billion from planned exploration activities.
Under the proposed benefit-sharing framework, he said, the local community would be entitled to one percent of the proceeds—an amount he translated to approximately Sh6.8 billion—which could significantly transform livelihoods in the area.
The Cabinet Secretary said the government is keen to deepen collaboration with counties to harness the country’s mineral wealth and enhance its contribution to the Gross Domestic Product.
He revealed that the ministry has already forwarded new regulations to Parliament aimed at ensuring counties and host communities begin receiving their share of exploration proceeds immediately an investor is licensed.
“These partnerships with county executives and county assemblies are meant to strengthen legislation and ensure smooth coordination in developing laws and regulations that guarantee fair sharing of resources,” Joho said.
Tharaka Nithi Governor Muthomi Njuki, who also serves as the vice chairperson of the Council of Governors, said communities have long been concerned about how they can legally benefit from minerals discovered beneath their land without being exploited.
Both Joho and Njuki decried widespread exploitation by miners with technical knowledge who, they said, often cart away valuable minerals disguised as ballast, sand or other construction materials, leaving local communities with little to show for the resources extracted.
Joho emphasized that the sensitization drive will go beyond government officials.
He said mining officers from the ministry, working with county governments and assemblies, will engage the public to create awareness on the value of minerals found in their regions and the economic opportunities they present.
In a related proposal, Governor Njuki called for the establishment of mineral laboratories at the county level to empower artisanal miners to accurately assess the value of their finds, improve their incomes and shield themselves from unscrupulous middlemen.
Mining Principal Secretary Harry Kimtai added that the ministry is also developing regulations to support innovative partnerships, including converting abandoned quarries into fish ponds as part of efforts to promote food security and sustainable land use.