Kenya on Tuesday launched a strategic plan to promote the responsible stewardship of its mining resources in the country.
Thomas Kipngeny, the assistant director of mines and head of mineral value addition at the Ministry of Mining, Blue Economy and Maritime Affairs, told a conference in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, that the Haki Madini (literally meaning mining rights in Swahili) strategic plan (2024-2028) provides a roadmap for the establishment of financial and institutional frameworks that facilitate payments and compensation for purposes of making savings for future generations from these finite resources.
“The strategy also supports host communities to build their capacity to prepare for the post-extractive period,” Kipngeny said during Kenya’s mining, oil, and gas conference.
The three-day event brought together government officials, mining experts, and campaigners to dialogue on how to transform the mining sector as a vehicle that drives domestic resource mobilization to achieve sustainable economic growth.
Kipngeny said that Kenya has at least 77 different mineral resources but most remain unexplored and underexploited due to lack of geological data and limited mineral exploration.
According to the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS), the extractive sector comprising mining, oil, and gas industries contributes an estimated 4.2 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP) and 3 percent of export earnings.
Kipngeny observed that the strategy will also promote the development of market linkages in order to connect small-scale miners with international markets. He revealed that the strategy prioritizes environmental stewardship to ensure that the extractive sector reduces greenhouse gas emissions so as to play a role in combating climate change.
