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{
    "id": 269864,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/269864/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 147,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Mr. Kajembe",
    "speaker_title": "The Assistant Minister for Environment and Mineral Resources",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 163,
        "legal_name": "Ramadhan Seif Kajembe",
        "slug": "ramadhan-kajembe"
    },
    "content": " Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I beg to reply. (a)There are two types of granite rocks in Western Province; the Maragoli and the Mumias granites. The Maragoli granite occurs in Vihiga area while the Mumias granite occurs in Butere, Mumias and Bungoma areas. Granite rocks cover nearly 80 per cent of Emuhaya District. The granite occurs in shades of pink, light or dark grey colours. The granites have been used as dimension stones where they are cut and polished as decorative slabs for floor tiles and wall facing of buildings. (b) I am not aware of any slab manufacturing company that is currently licensed and is ferrying the rocks from Emuhaya to process them in Nairobi and Athi River. However, M/s. Fascon Marble was licensed by my Ministry on 26th February 1993 for the excavation of granite blocks from the Kima area of Emuhaya for use in manufacture of dimension stone but closed down and stopped operations in 2001 due to lack of markets and competition from cheap imports. The license issued was Mining License No.3612/1 and the location was Ebusilaro/1549. The expiry date of the license was gazetted on 25th February 2002. (c) My Ministry is encouraging investors who may be interested in exploiting geological materials in various parts of the country including Emuhaya to apply for licenses from the relevant authorities such the Mines and Geological Department, the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) and local authorities. Once such investors are licensed it is upon them to site suitable locations in which the raw materials will be processed. Several factors are taken into account in deciding the site. When investors sit in such locations, we take into account several factors before they arrive at any decision. These factors may include availability of stones of suitable quality and uniformity, distance to the market, haulage distance to the site of works, energy, roads and water amongst others. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, in addition, before companies start mining they have to obtain consent of land owners or local communities. Such include mutual agreement benefit sharing. My Ministry has embarked on promotion of Kenya’s mineral potential including polished stone products. This will result in increased usage of the products locally and abroad with a subsequent increase in investments in the area, more licenses in the sector, creation of employment for the local communities and local entrepreneurship. My Ministry is also promoting tourism by documenting geological sites for tourist attraction. For example, large granite rocks form impressive sites of geological interest in the western region like the weeping stone located in the immediate south of Kakamega Town and Kakapeli rock. Further, my Ministry is working on the Minerals and Mining Bill which provides for benefit sharing of the revenue accruing from mineral operations"
}