Mining Cabinet Secretary (CS) Salim Mvurya today ordered the closure of all mining sites near schools, hospitals, and other amenities to shut down their operations.
Speaking in Kisumu, where he presided over the launch of artisanal miners’ cooperative societies drawn from Nyanza and Western regions, he said mining activities must be conducted according to the sector's rules and regulations to deter haphazard activities that ruin the environment.
“We had a situation in Baringo where an investor was mining within his compound, we closed it immediately,” he said.
He said that while the government is encouraging investment in the mining sector, all such activities must be conducted within the law.
Further, he said that any mining activity must adhere to the rules set out by the National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA), among other rules.
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“The government will not allow mining to become a very disorganized sector,” he said.
He also said that a police unit should be created at the Ministry of Mining, Blue Economy, and Maritime Affairs to deal with illegal miners and enforce directives.
He said the unit was created due to the new mining laws, which protect the country’s mineral resources and crack down on illegal mining and smuggling.
The CS announced that the unit has been equipped with vehicles and other resources to ensure they hit the ground running.
“Because the cabinet approved the creation of the new police unit for the mining ministry, the officers have reported, and they will move to the ground to help us curb illegal mining and smuggling,” said Mvurya.
Mvurya said the Ministry is organizing the artisanal into cooperative societies to benefit from investments made by several investors in the country.
