Nagetei – May 29th, 2024 (Public Communications and Media Relations)
The County Government will ensure all investors seeking to be admitted to the Turkana’s mining sector comply with national and county regulations.
The County Chief Officer for Mining and Petroleum, Triza Amoni, emphasized that compliance is crucial not only for legal adherence but also for assessing the economic contributions of investors to the local community.
Speaking at a community engagement meeting in Nagetei, Lokichar Ward—an area rich in gold deposits, Amoni urged artisanal miners to report any investors operating without proper county registration.
The meeting, attended by prospective investors and local residents, served to create awareness to the community on the investor licensing process and the importance of community consent.
This announcement follows a recent visit by the Principal Secretary for the State Department of Mining, Elijah Mwangi, who called for renewed vetting of all prospectors.
A long-time artisanal miner from Lopurukou Village, Mzee Lowassa requested the county to ensure investor applications include Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities. He argued that CSR initiatives are essential to ensure the local population benefits from mining activities.
CCO Amoni stated that community consent should be obtained through public forums where all segments of the community are represented.
The county’s initiative aims to regulate the sector and prevent unlicensed dealers from operating in Turkana.
She noted that similar measures have been successful in Migori, Taita Taveta, and Kakamega counties, which have longer histories of managing mining activities.
Several investors have shown interest in Turkana’s mining sector following the State Department of Mining’s recent report highlighting the region’s potential for gold and 21 other valuable minerals.
During the engagement, operations of the local artisanal mining committee, county programs and interventions targeting to boost artisanal miners and formation of cooperatives societies were discussed.
The Chief officer was accompanied by national and county administration, and county mining and legal officers.
