Miners to Reap
Big in Kitui
Big in Kitui
By Barrack Muli,
Governor's Press Service
Artisanal miners in Kitui County are set to benefit from mining of gemstones following the licensing of the artisanal mining in the county.
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| Gov Ngilu, flanked by Kitui Environment and Natural Resources Minister Mr Koki Musau inspects minerals from Kitui |
Speaking at Kitui town when she met the Mutitu Kaliku Multi-artisanal mining officials {MKM}, Governor Charity Ngilu said the exercise will be a significant source of employment and livelihood playing a critical role in poverty reduction and rural development.
Artisanal mining is targeting the fulfillment of the Governor's fifth pillar of het manifesto which targets Wealth Creation. It will also meet objectives of creating employment for Kitui residents which cuts across the other pillars of Affordable Healthcare, Food and Water, Education and Youth Development, and Women Empowerment.
Daniel Wambua, a technical engineer and member of the MKM artisanal group said the blue iolite, for instance, has a stretch of over 3 kilometres of the semi-precious stones that is currently a potential economic development opportunity in the sector.
“The blue iolite is of very high quality and can compare with the precious Tanzanite stone”. He said.
Noting that the miners were recently licensed through Governor Ngilu’s efforts, Wambua expresses hope and joy in the county government’s intervention and says mining will now present a primary livelihood employment for many in the area.
“We thank the Governor for helping us acquire a license, artisanal mining in the country has had challenges since 1930. We appreciate this big development”. He said.
The County Government trained 120 artisanal miners across the county in 2018 who will work in their groups with the support of the county and National Government, to engage in the extraction, value addition and marketing of gemstones which exist in big quantities in many parts of the county.
In her tour of the Kawala mining site of Mutitu in Kitui East recently, Governor Ngilu said “the county government will link the miners with relevant agencies for market linkage for the minerals”.
The county Ministry of Natural resources further invited land owners to allow mineral prospection in areas likely to be endowed with the precious stones. With the licensing of artisanal mining in Kitui, the Mining process has been made easy since the exercise only requires the consent of the land owner to allow extraction.
The licensing is a big relief to the miners following the formalization of the process and the withdrawal of middlemen in the business.
kituigovernorspress@gmail.com
“The blue iolite is of very high quality and can compare with the precious Tanzanite stone”. He said.
Noting that the miners were recently licensed through Governor Ngilu’s efforts, Wambua expresses hope and joy in the county government’s intervention and says mining will now present a primary livelihood employment for many in the area.
“We thank the Governor for helping us acquire a license, artisanal mining in the country has had challenges since 1930. We appreciate this big development”. He said.
The County Government trained 120 artisanal miners across the county in 2018 who will work in their groups with the support of the county and National Government, to engage in the extraction, value addition and marketing of gemstones which exist in big quantities in many parts of the county.
In her tour of the Kawala mining site of Mutitu in Kitui East recently, Governor Ngilu said “the county government will link the miners with relevant agencies for market linkage for the minerals”.
The county Ministry of Natural resources further invited land owners to allow mineral prospection in areas likely to be endowed with the precious stones. With the licensing of artisanal mining in Kitui, the Mining process has been made easy since the exercise only requires the consent of the land owner to allow extraction.
The licensing is a big relief to the miners following the formalization of the process and the withdrawal of middlemen in the business.
kituigovernorspress@gmail.com
