The Principal Secretary for the State Department for Mining Harry Kimtai has revealed that the government is ready to kick off the mining of gold at Alupe in Busia County.
Speaking in Samia Sub County on Sunday, Kimtai said the government has already identified the company that will engage in gold mining in the county.
“We have awarded the mineral rights to a company that will start mining gold from the Alupe area in Teso South Sub County. The time has come for us to start mining our gold so that our people can benefit from it” he said.
He stated that the community and the government will benefit much from the sale of the gold mined from Alupe.
“According to the structure set on the royalties to be paid,70% will be going to the national government. County government will get 20% while the community will benefit with 10 %. There will also be 1 % of the total gross sale that will go to community work to help in development and empowering the people in the county. There will be a place allocated to the members of the public to also do their mining, ‘he said
The PS further noted that a complaint that has been raised for a long time of Kenyan gold being mined by a neighboring country is going to be addressed soon.
“I am going to send a team from the state department of mining to come and do an assessment of any interference of mining of our minerals by our neighbors. There have been many complaints from leaders and public that our minerals are being taken away through underground mining, we want ensure that our minerals are safe” he said.
The official also urged the local residents to support the government’s initiatives stating that the government has a good will for its citizens.
“The government has initiated many projects that aim at helping the people. This will not be possible if we don’t support it; starting from Social Health Authority which is aiming to help everyone regardless of your financial status to education, all this needs your support as a Kenyan” he said.
Busia Governor Paul Otwoma echoed the PS sentiments pointing out that the only way to get more development is by working closely with the government.
“Working closely with the government guarantees us more development. We have seen what the national government is doing to us from the markets, roads and even agriculture. This cannot happen if you don’t work closely with the government,” he said
“The government has already advertised the construction of a ring road from Matayos to Sio port. They have elevated our Bumbe technical to National polytechnic. They are doing a very huge project of EPZ at Nasewa and all these are helping to change the life of our people” he said.
By Salome Alwanda and Rodgers Omondi
