Entry Instance

HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept

{
    "id": 1287160,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1287160/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 385,
    "type": "other",
    "speaker_name": "",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "We also noted that Mr. Huno Kenya does not have a valid contract or engagement with the Ministry or County Government. Therefore, the Ministry intends to call for international bids from interested investors to put up a gold processing plant in Kakamega County. Upon conclusion of these consultations which we have already began with the County Government, these projects will take off. In a nutshell, what I am saying here is that initially, there was a bit of a gap between the National Ministry of Mining, Blue Economy and Maritime Affairs and Kakamega County Government in engaging this particular private investor. However, we have now embarked on a process of consultation because apart from Kakamega County, we have zoned the country. We want to identify and develop different value addition and mineral processing centres across the country. Kakamega County is one of the areas we have identified and so, we will be working with the County Government to ensure we realise this dream. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, allow me to now tackle part (c) of that question. Over the last few months, the Ministry has intensified efforts to promote mining as the next investment frontier. Towards this end, the Ministry has received funding from the National Government, aimed at implementing projects that are geared towards promotion of mining and provision of preliminary investment data specifically. To ensure that mining is undertaken in a sustainable and environmentally friendly manner, the Ministry has allocated resources to the regional mining offices. It has also issued instructions for increased inspections and monitoring of artisanal and small-scale miners. This will ensure that potentially dangerous operations are closed and the risk identified addressed as a precautionary measure. Additionally, the Ministry has carried out extensive sensitization of artisanal and small-scale gold miners on mine health and safety in gold mining. We are doing this across the country. The Ministry, in collaboration with Directorate of Occupational Safety and Health, has also carried out training of artisanal and small-scale gold miners on workplace safety. Further, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, the Ministry has embarked on an extensive process of organizing artisanal miners into marketing cooperatives to enhance their capacity, to market mineral outputs and reduce over-reliance on middlemen for marketing. The formalized cooperatives will then receive extensive training on a number of key modules such marketing, financial literacy and book-keeping as we progress them towards migration to small-scale miners category. The Ministry will also institutionalize capacity building and training and sustainable mining practices within the cooperatives. The Ministry is also committed to implementation of Section 95 of the Mining Act by way of granting artisanal mining permits, environmental license and sustainable mining plans will be one of the conditions for grant of artisanal mining permits. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I submit and I thank you."
}