@ppcheti
Stone miners in Lamu have urged the county and national governments to promote local industries by purchasing raw materials from them instead of outsourcing from other regions.
Stone mining in Lamu happens in Manda-Maweni, Hindi, Baharini, and Mokowe.
County and national governments have always issued tenders for the supply of raw materials from Kilifi and Mombasa counties including stones and murram which are produced on a large scale by the local stone mining industry in Lamu.
The miners have faulted the government for failing to support and promote local industries by deliberately refusing to buy locally produced materials and instead opting to promote outsiders.
Manda-Maweni village located inside Manda Island in Lamu West for instance, has a population of over 2,000 people who all depend directly on proceeds from stone mining for survival.
In Hindi, Mokowe, Baharini and Nairobi areas, over 2,500 people economically depend on the trade.
Manda-Maweni Quarrying Cooperative Society Limited chairman Ben Ojuok said the stone mining industry in Lamu can efficiently supply raw materials to mega projects.
The miners want the two governments to consider issuing them direct tenders to supply materials for development projects, boost the industry and improve livelihoods.
“This industry can supply stones and murram to Lapsset and other projects. We have tried to seek tenders but it has been hard. The two governments are not interested in promoting local industries,” Ojuok said.
The miners said a major hindrance to the expansion of the trade was the lack of a ready market for locally produced materials.
Peter Kamau, a stone miner at Hindi in Lamu West said normally, they sell their ready materials to private buyers who purchase at a low cost, incurring losses.
“The county and national governments can help us identify markets for our products. They can start by being our clientele and buying from us before seeking outside sellers of similar products,” Kamau said.
They want the government to empower them by providing them with modern quarrying and mining tools.
“Most of these miners use manual tools which are slow and tiring. If we get brick-cutting machines, the production rate will triple and that will be a plus for the county,” Nancy Adhiambo, a stone miner in Manda-Maweni said.
Lamu has over 50 mining sites scattered in the aforementioned areas where a single miner produces up to 5,000 blocks and up to 5,000 bags of murram daily.
The miners want the county and national governments to help protect the mines from grabbers.
“Most of the mines have been acquired by private individuals and fenced off. We have to bribe the guards to allow us to mine. We want these mines gazetted and issued with title deeds,” Fredrick Otieno of Manda-Maweni said.
Edited by Kiilu Damaris
