The Government has launched campaign to mobilise persons who undertake Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining (ASM) and Large-Scale Mining (LSM), to form Saccos aimed at ensuring earnings from the economically potential sector are prudently utilised.
Formation of the Saccos, the Government hopes will ensure that miners especially artisanal and small-scale save portion of their income and also benefit from annual reimbursement from Government.
In an interview, the Principal Secretary Ministry of Mining Elijah Mwangi said that a campaign to streamline the mining sector and launch of cooperatives has been started all aimed at ensuring Kenyans benefited.
Youthful Kenyans, the PS said should not continue to take the mining industry for granted but should form and join existing Saccos because surveys had indicated that the sector could cater for up to 10 per cent of the GDP.
The PS added that participation of young Kenyans especially in rural areas where mining is widespread but remains uncontrolled is key to their future incomes as the Government streamlines the industry and create suitable policies geared to help Kenyans benefit from the sector.
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Government and industrial loyalties which amounted to 20 per cent of the total income from mining annually, of which 10 per cent is remitted directly to the communities in mining areas, Mwangi said in future it will be channelled to the community through Saccos and related organisations.
‘’The huge economic resources being generated by the sector presently being revived and expanded under new county administrations and National Government licensing policies would be better managed under organised entities such as Saccos and community groups,” said Mwangi.
Small artisanal mining groups, he said also needed to come together and get licenses to launch mining activities in their respective counties where huge mineral deposits had been discovered through explorations and scientific minerals’ mapping studies.
County governments, the PS advised should incorporate Saccos in mining programmes adding that since the Government started encouraging and mobilising Kenyans to form mining Saccos more than 40 such entities had been formed.
Resources under the Minerals Development Levy and those from the National Mining Corporation he said would be managed fairly to ensure regions got their share of financial resources.
The National Environment Management Authority (NEMA), the PS said would in future work with mining entities and persons under Saccos, the county government and community based organisations to ensure the environment was not damaged with resources being allocated for rehabilitation of exhausted mines.
Funds, he said would be set aside to cater for rehabilitation of abandoned mines, some which were a health, environmental and safety hazard yet there were right close to peoples’ homes.
Mwangi challenged those forming the mining based Saccos to form environmental protection and safety lobby groups and commercial firms to fight for environmental rehabilitation.
By Robert Nyagah
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