Kakuma, 11th November 2024 (Public Communications and Media Relations)

A Chinese company, H-NUO, is looking to source raw gold from Naduat in Turkana County for its new refinery in Kakamega. The company is investing Ksh 5.8 billion in the refinery and has requested permission from the Turkana County Government to begin the investment process.

H-NUO’s director, Zhang Kaichun, explained the company’s interest in Naduat at a meeting with the county’s Department of Energy and Mineral Resources. “Our focus is on Naduat. We believe it has the potential to supply the right quality and quantity of raw material needed for refining at our upcoming Kakamega facility,” Kaichun said.

The gold-rich soil from Naduat will be transported to the Kakamega refinery for processing, which is expected to create jobs in the logistics and transport sectors. The project has the potential to benefit the local economy, improve livelihoods for artisanal miners, and create jobs along the transport value chain.

Turkana County’s Chief Officer for Energy and Mineral Resources, Triza Amoni, welcomed the investment and highlighted the county’s commitment to attracting more investors to its mining sector. Amoni emphasized the positive impact such investments could have on small-scale miners across the county, including economic growth and job creation.

She also urged H-NUO to ensure compliance with legal mining regulations and consider mass sensitization programs to inform the local community about the project and its potential benefits, including corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives.