The State Department of Mining has called on miners to form cooperatives so as to benefit from government programmes.
Speaking during a one day-public participation forum held at Maasai Mara University, the Migori Regional Officer Joshua Boiwo said cooperatives will enable the government to serve the miners better as they work in an organised structure.
“The government is working on a bottom –up economic model. This means the main target is the low-income earning people and the best way to reach all of these people in the mining sector and serve them better is through cooperatives,” he said.
Boiwo said his region comprises Migori, Homabay, Kisii, Nyamira and Narok Counties, adding that his officers will be going around the counties collecting data on the miners.
“We have already visited some places. We request you to cooperate and give us all the information needed once we get to your premises,” he said.
The mining stakeholders’ forum is aimed at amending the regulations under mining act 2016 and presentation of the draft on Mineral Royalty regulation, 2023.
The Mineral Royalty regulation, 2023 proposed that the State Department for Mining shall open a mineral royalties’ collection account where a mineral right holder shall pay mineral royalty to the state.
70 per cent of the royalties will be retained by the National government, 20 per cent will be shared to the county governments while the remaining 10 per cent will be shared at the community level.
The draft was presented by Ms Anastacia Wanjohi from the Commission of Revenue allocation who informed the stakeholders that a committee chaired by the Deputy County Commissioner will be formed to facilitate the distribution of funds.
“Remember this is public money and whatever is done with the money should benefit the public. The committee will be responsible for providing a platform for the community to discuss, identify and approve, through public participation, projects to be financed,” she said.
The draft regulations propose that a committee shall cease to exist where the community mineral royalty share is exhausted upon closure of mining operations by a mineral rights holder.
“Upon winding up of a committee, all assets both movable and immovable as held by the committee shall be transferred to the state department for mining,” he said.
By Ann Salaton
