Counties to regularise artisanal mining by year end

Counties are required to set up artisanal mining committees by end of November this year and artisanal miners must form marketing cooperatives by December 2023 for consideration in the issuance of artisanal mining permits.

Mining, Blue Economy, and Maritime Affairs Cabinet Secretary Salim Mvurya has said the ongoing mining reforms will mean ensuring artisanal miners are upskilled, funded, and kitted through their respective cooperatives.

Artisanal mining was decriminalized in Kenya as part of a raft or reforms undertaken by the mining ministry with a view to grow the sector targeting a 15pc gross domestic product contribution in the next one and a half years.

The government is looking to empower small scale miners whose activities contribute over Ksh 12 billion annually to the economy and employs over 250,000 people.

The mining ministry says value addition across the mining value chain will optimize Kenya’s potential despite sporadic headwinds in the past.

Part of the reforms include enhancing compliance of regulations and expediting plans to modernise the country’s labs to safeguard against mineral fraud.

The government plans to hold more stakeholder engagements in coming weeks to discuss how the reforms in the sector can be improved.