The Mining Department, through the Migori County artisanal mining committees, is set to issue mining permits to artisan miners to empower their socio-economic development in the devolved unit.

According to Migori Regional Director for Mining Joseph Boiwo, they have registered 25 mining cooperatives formed by artisan miners in the County, awaiting permits to legalize their mining operations.

Speaking when he led a delegation of various agencies that included the National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA) and local administration in visiting various mining sites and processing plants he said mining is mainly carried out in Nyatike Sub County, with Osiri Matanda, having more than 2,000 artisan miners.

The sub-counties of Kuria, Awendo, Rongo, Suna, and Uriri are also partly involved with mining activities, with artisan miners still being the majority.

Further, he said that mining permits will be given to registered cooperatives but not individual artisan miners.

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 He disclosed that artisan miners in cooperatives will be given permits through the artisanal mining committees from the county level.

Boiwo elaborated that issuing mining permits to cooperatives will smoothen the mining operations in the county, contribute to revenue collection, and ease the monitoring of mining activities in the region.

Additionally, he said that the permits issued to the cooperatives will provide benefits like market links, grants, and mining training to the artisan miners.

“We want the community, the county and the national government to benefit from mining activities through revenue generation and royalties to boost the socio-economic agenda.”