Mining
The Principal Secretary (PS), State Department of Mining, Mr Elijah Mwangi, has directed that all unlicensed miners in Migori to be penalised on all unpaid royalties from their illegal mining.
The PS who was speaking at Masara Mines in Suna West Sub- County, Thursday, during an impromptu visit and crackdown on illegal mining activities in Migori County, stated that the government is going to sum-up all tons of minerals mined illegally and impose charges for every ton.
“We are going to conduct an comprehensive empirical calculation on all minerals mined illegally and charge unpaid royalties per ton, for the entire period they have not complied,” said the PS. He further stated that those who shall be found to be involved in illegal mining, will find it difficult to be issued with licenses even after complying, noting that such people are only interested in illegal operations and shall be treated as same.
Mr. Mwangi, however, refuted claims that the government is fighting investors, adding that they are only interested in illegal miners, who are not following the law. He informed that those not complying and evading paying relevant royalties, both the government and the community around the mining areas, are losing a lot.
Mining workers at Masara mining site in Migori County. Photo by Beryl Akinyi.
” If they pay royalties, 10 percent of royalties to the community, 20 percent to the county and 70 percent is retained by the national government,” explained the PS. Concurrently, despite missing the supposedly illegal miners at the site, he downplayed the possibility of sabotage, where the suspected illegal miners are tipped-off on potential arrest and flee the site.
The PS said they were just lucky not to be found at the sites and all the government agencies are working together, to ensure there is full compliance with the law. “Even though they have disappeared for today, we have found the equipment and the tilling heaped here, they will not disappear forever unless they forfeit this equipment for the government,” said the PS.
He said, once they come out for their equipment, the law shall catch-up with them as security agencies are vigilant. Mr. Mwangi emphasised that the government is working on a system that will help to monitor any mining operation in the country remotely, without having mining officers going to the ground.
This, he said, is in line with the Department’s bid to curb future encroachment into the mining activities without a legal requirement. The crackdown has been an ongoing activity across the country, where the PS revealed that all mining officers in the country are visiting illegal mining sites to enforce compliance.
In Migori the PS and other mining officers visited five mining sites that were suspected to be operating without licenses