The government has announced a renewed crackdown on unlawful mining operations across the country in a bid to restore natural resources and restore investors' confidence in the sector.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen on Wednesday, April 16, announced a raft of new measures which he said were aimed at cleaning up the mining sector, which has been plagued with unregulated extraction of minerals.
The meeting, which featured several stakeholders, including Mining CS Hassan Joho, was convened on the back of recommendations from the National Security Council and recent Jukwaa la Usalama forums held in the Coast region.
Mining Principal Secretary Harry Kimtai and top security chiefs, including Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja, DCI boss Mohamed Amin, and Deputy Inspectors General Eliud Lagat (KPS) and Gilbert Masengeli (APS).
In what could potentially be a game-changer in the mining industry, Murkomen announced the government would restructure the coordination of specialised police units attached to the State Department of Mining. This could potentially make the restructured units more effective in handling mining-related crimes.
"Besides loss of revenue and low investor confidence, unlawful mining also contributes to environmental degradation, resource conflicts, health hazards, child labour and risks to human safety," Murkomen noted.
Further, the Interior CS also announced plans to sensitise communities where mining operations are carried out in a bid to create awareness about the dangers of unlawful mining and its consequences on the environment.
In addition, the government intends to co-opt mining officers into the security structure at the grassroots on a need basis. This essentially means that mining officers will be deployed directly in areas where unlawful mining is extremely problematic.
As far as unlawful mining is concerned, the government, through the mining docket, has been combating the vice for years, albeit with resistance from other stakeholders.
In January, CS Joho was criticised by the Kenya Chamber of Mines (KCM) for initiatives in his docket, with the body terming them unfair and unlawful.
KCM's criticism came after Joho warned unlawful miners of dire consequences, as he urged those who wished to pursue mining to approach the local communities and reach a written agreement, rather than resorting to the shady practice of mining without licences.
"In the law, you are required to allocate one per cent of the gross revenue to the community. You must reach an agreement. Form a committee and engage with the community," Joho advised in January.
