By Alice Wanjeh
Nairobi Kenya: The Kenya Mining Week Expo and Conference 2023 was held in Kenya’s capital city Nairobi this week. The conference was dubbed “Promoting an Inclusive Approach to Kenya’s Mining Sector for Economic Growth.“
Principal Secretary of the State Department for Mining, Elijah Mwangi, was the key guest speaker who emphasized the need for the government, private sector, and Kenyans to have the same vision and speak the same language in order to attract investors to the country. He was speaking of Kenya’s mining vision, mining investment opportunities, and incentives.
“We must actively participate in this discussion. As we speak with each other and engage in different sessions, we must all consider the future of mining in Kenya and how best to move forward. We must ensure that everyone is involved, from the landowners to the people who will be affected by the activities to the people who will invest in them. How will the government and the people of the community benefit? How can we ensure that the profits from mining are used to develop the sector? Whatever comes out of mining should be used to develop the mining sector further” said PS Mwangi.
At a panel discussion on strengthening mining policies, regulatory frameworks, and formalization for sustainable development, Gerald Byarugaba, Extractive Industries Advisor at Oxfam International, noted that 13% of the world’s minerals come from Africa and 25% of the world’s miners are from indigenous communities who are at risk of losing their land due to mining activities. He emphasized that stakeholders in the mining industry must develop a legal framework to ensure respect for human rights. He also stressed the need for small-scale miners to raise their concerns.
“If you are not on the table you are on the menu” said Gerald.
Co-chair and technical advisor, Haki Madini, Edgar Odari, noted during a panel discussion that there is a large gap in the occupational health and safety act. He noted that the incomplete policy-making process was halted midway, which posed challenges for the sector a few years ago. He also added that the study mining act in 2016 in policy framework legislation does not provide a comprehensive framework.
Several recommendations were proposed to address the aforementioned challenges, particularly on how to measure the impact of the regulatory framework and policies. Many noted the need to review and reform these policies, as well as train policymakers on the cost-benefit analysis of decisions. This would allow them to hold both the government and stakeholders accountable and identify failures and how they contribute to the burgeoning information asymmetries in the sector.
The Association of Women in Energy and Extractives in Kenya (AMWEIK) and the Kenya Chamber of Mines (KCM) were the key organizers of the Kenya Mining Week, Gemstone Summit, announced the postponement of the event, which was scheduled for July 19, 2023, at the Radisson Blu Hotel Upperhill, due to planned anti-government protests. They noted that the event is not cancelled but postponed to a later date, which will be communicated to stakeholders as soon as possible.
