Government to rehabilitate abandoned mining sites 

Chris Mahandara
3 Min Read
State Department for Mining Principal Secretary (PS) Elijah Mwangi addressing the media on the sidelines of the Nyanza International Investment Conference in Kisumu.

The government has announced plans to rehabilitate abandoned mining sites across the country, transforming them into valuable resources for productive use.

State Department for Mining Principal Secretary (PS) Elijah Mwangi said most of the sites which have been left open posed danger to the environment and members of the public.

The State Department, he added, has embarked on a mapping exercise to establish the locations and status of the sites across the country ahead of the rehabilitation exercise.

The PS said through partnership with other government agencies, the mines would be converted into aquaculture hubs or refilled and repurposed for agricultural use. The move was expected to breathe new life into areas affected by mining activities, offering a sustainable solution to environmental degradation and creating new economic opportunities for local communities, he added.

“We are working with the Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute (KMFRI) to carry out studies on how some of these sites can be used for aquaculture,” said the PS.

This, he added, targets large abandoned mining sites which are now filled with water while other sites would be refilled and the land used for agriculture, reforestation and tourism.

Speaking at the sidelines of the Nyanza International Investment Conference in Kisumu, the PS said the government was committed to restoring the sites to their former productive potential, contributing to food security, job creation, and environmental sustainability.

“The rehabilitation of the mining sites will create new aquaculture ventures, which are expected to boost local fish production, while refilled sites will provide fertile ground for agricultural activities, supporting farmers with additional productive land,” he said.

Mwangi said artisanal miners were being organised into cooperatives to ensure that they access big markets for their minerals and also credit to procure equipment.

The goal, he said, was to ensure that they have the right equipment and gear to curb deaths in the mines.

“In this region alone, we have established 52 marketing cooperatives. We are now capacity- building them and linking them to financial institutions to access credit,” he said.

The government has employed additional mining engineers and geologists to support the artisanal miners in the regions said the PS.

Speaking during the same occasion, Kenya Commercial Bank Director of Cooperative Banking John Okulo said the bank has established a facility to support artisanal miner to acquire modern equipment.

“Once they are organised into groups, they can access loans of up to Sh. 250 million from KCB to purchase equipment and expand their ventures,” he said.

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