In October 2023, Kenya’s mining sector experienced a significant turning point as the government lifted the moratorium that had stagnated the industry for over four years. While this move aimed to “put the house in order” through regulatory reforms, it excluded strategic minerals, leaving the mining community with a sense of anticipation.
Understanding Strategic Minerals in Kenya
These refer to minerals and elements that are considered crucial for the economic and strategic interests of a country or region due to their importance in various industries, national defense, and technological applications. These minerals differ from country to country. However, some common minerals such as rare earth elements (REEs), lithium, cobalt, and platinum group metals remain constant in many countries’ strategic minerals.
In the communication, Hon Salim Mvurya, EGH, the Cabinet Secretary, brought clarity to the categorization of minerals in Kenya. The list of strategic minerals unveiled included:
- Radio-active minerals – Uranium, Thorium
- Cobalt
- Tantalum
- Lithium
- Coltan
- Niobium
- Copper
- Nickel
- Graphite
- Tin
- Tsavorite
- Chromite
- Rare Earths
Tsavorite as a Strategic Mineral
The addition of Tsavorite, a precious gemstone, stirred apprehension among miners, sparking widespread discussions about its potential impact on their operations. Amidst the buzz, misinformation took center stage, creating uncertainty. In this context, it becomes crucial to shed light on the Mining Act of 2016 and its provisions regarding Kenya’s strategic minerals.
i. Section 16: The Cabinet Secretary, with the advice of the Mineral Rights Board, can prescribe the manner of dealing with the discovery, exploration, mining, processing, and export of strategic mineral and deposits.
ii. Section 16: The Cabinet Secretary must seek Cabinet approval to declare certain minerals or mineral deposits as strategic.
iii. Article 48: The State acquires a ten percent free carried interest in the share capital, without a financial contribution, as per the right.
iv. Section 8: The State has a right of pre-emption over all minerals extracted within Kenya’s territory before they are sold. The Cabinet Secretary can also make regulations for the exploration, mining, processing, and export of strategic minerals and deposits.
Conclusion
In conclusion, understanding that the Cabinet Secretary holds the authority to classify minerals as strategic is key to shaping Kenya’s mining future. As we look ahead, the government must provide clear instructions on how existing licenses for Tsavorite mining will be handled, ensuring fairness and transparency. Moreover, the ongoing efforts to improve the mining sector should actively involve all stakeholders, creating a collaborative path towards a more inclusive and sustainable industry growth
I would like to thnkx for the efforts you’ve put in writing this web site. I am hoping the same high-grade blog post from you in the upcoming as well. In fact your creative writing abilities has inspired me to get my own blog now. Actually the blogging is spreading its wings quickly. Your write up is a great example of it.
A different issue is really that video gaming became one of the all-time most significant forms of recreation for people of nearly every age. Kids engage in video games, and also adults do, too. The XBox 360 is amongst the favorite video games systems for those who love to have a lot of activities available to them, plus who like to play live with other folks all over the world. Thanks for sharing your ideas.
One other thing I would like to state is that in place of trying to match all your online degree programs on days that you conclude work (as most people are drained when they get home), try to find most of your sessions on the weekends and only a couple courses on weekdays, even if it means a little time away from your weekend break. This is beneficial because on the week-ends, you will be extra rested in addition to concentrated for school work. Thanks a bunch for the different ideas I have learned from your blog.
keep me informed always
As someone still navigating this field, I find your posts really helpful. My site is Webemail24 and I’d be happy to have some experts about Website Traffic like you check it and provide some feedback.
Your ideas absolutely shows this site could easily be one of the bests in its niche. Drop by my website Seoranko for some fresh takes about Blogging. Also, I look forward to your new updates.