By D, KNA
Tharaka Nithi County is set for an economic turnaround following the National Government’s move through the Ministry of Mining, Blue Economy and Maritime Affairs to kickstart commercialized mining in the region.
The County, especially Tharaka North Sub County has been historically identified as a mineral-prospective area, especially copper, forming part of targeted national mineral exploitation initiative.
Mining Cabinet Secretary Hassan Joho on Monday led officials from the Ministry including Principal Secretaries; Harry Kimtai (Mining) and Betsy Muthoni (Blue Economy) to a sensitization and consultative meeting on mineral development, which was taken as an icebreaker to the entire process.
Speaking during the meeting, CS Joho noted that the entire engagement was revolved around how the mining space in the County could be opened up considering that from the aerial geo-physical survey, there are various minerals in Tharaka Nithi County.
“I report that Tharaka Nithi is one of those places that we are aware of the endowment of minerals yet to be exploited. We want to do this in an open and very transparent manner through engagement,” said Joho.
He said commercial mining in the region will open up the lives of the residents and eventually attract great wealth into the County.
“We are here to engage and enlighten the leadership on the processes so they can disseminate the same downwards to the people. This is just a beginning of our engagement exercises and we will be coming back to do more public engagements so that we tap into the resources endowed here,” said Joho.
He said cooperation between the national and county government will ensure creation of a unique mining model in the county that has never been in any other part of the country.
“If you talk about mining in the country, you cannot miss Tharaka Nithi in the conversation. We cannot allow as a country that people on the Southern and Northern part of the mining corridor we are falling in, are mining and we in the center are just scratching the surface,” explained Joho.
On his side, Governor Muthomi Njuki said the County was an area of interest in today’s mining economy and this necessitated the start of a conversation on how to have an open way of ensuring there is mining that is beneficial to all.
At the moment, he added, mining in the county is not structured, transparent, people owning lands where mining is taking place do not know their rights, and even those mining do not declare their activity or proceeds from the same.
“Basically, we have been losing on wealth supposed to be exploited for the benefit of the whole country and even the locals. We have started a conversation where we have briefed the County Assembly, Executive, and the community representatives so we can have a structured engagement on how the Ministry can bring aboard investors who can have commercial mining that will benefit all of us,” said Njuki.
The Governor noted that the current manual ways of mining and use of simple and primitive tools can hardly scratch the surface as far as potential mining in the County is concerned.
“If minerals are found 1000 feet’s or 10 kilometers below the ground, I don’t see anyone who is currently on the mining field at the moment with technology that can go to that level. This, therefore, means that if we continue this way, the resource will stay there forever and we will be sitting here saying we have minerals in our County but no one will be benefiting from the same,” added Njuki.
A technical report on the County’s mineral potential presented by PS Kimtai during the engagement indicate that the region has multiple copper mineral occurrence areas, confirmed copper indications in several locations and associated occurrences of gold and rare earth elements.
Identified copper occurrence areas include Gatue, Kamacabi, Kiamiramba, Kadondo, Kiamarenge, Maragwa, Mpunguni, Kamaguna, Gatunga, and Kiorimba.
In addition to copper, geological records also indicate copper with gold, lanthanum (rare earth elements), uranium (thorium systems) and yttrium.
It is usual practice that before any mining can proceed, lawful access to land must be acquired, environmental approvals must be issued, and community engagement is mandatory.
Mining Act 2026 also recognizes community development agreements, compensation where applicable, environmental approvals and benefit sharing.
The potential benefits of responsible mining in the County will benefit residents through shared royalties between the national and County governments, and local communities in a 70:20:10 ratio, as well as community development agreements (minimum one percent gross sales value) used for local social and development projects.
The government has also assured residents that it will remain committed to responsible, lawful and sustainable mining.
