The delayed opening of Voi Gemstone Value Addition Centre has hurt small-scale miners in Taita Taveta, a parliamentary team has been told.
Miners said the delay in the opening of the multimillion-shilling facility has opened doors for middlemen to exploit them for lack of a reliable market.
They spoke when they met with the National Assembly’s committee on Environment, Forestry and Mining at the centre on Wednesday.
They told the team that artisanal miners have been banking on the facility to boost the mining industry in the region.
“This facility should be opened to help miners benefit from the minerals that we have here. It is wrong to have such a facility that is not being utilised,” Taita Taveta Artisanal Miners' Association chairman David Nzowe said.
The centre is set to benefit at least 1,500 artisanal and small-scale miners across the mineral-rich county.
Nzowe further asked the committee to push for allocation of mining areas in Tsavo National Park, where there are precious stones.
“Many mining areas are within the ranches and the national park. There is a need for the committee to help miners get permits to access the areas with high deposits,” he said.
He said residents are still wallowing in poverty, despite sitting on tonnes of minerals.
Taita Taveta is endowed with minerals and precious stones ranging from Tsavorite, ruby, chrome tourmaline, yellow tourmaline, red garnets, green garnets and Tanzanite.
Others are manganese, iron ore, marble and limestone.
Artisanal miners also requested to be considered for short training courses and collaboration and support from the National Mining Corporation.
The committee, led by vice chairman Charles Kamuren, however promised to follow up on the official opening and gazettement of the gemstone centre.
The gem centre, which is one of the government’s mining flagship projects, was expected to be opened by President William Ruto in February.
Kamuren said plans to open the facility are still on course and will be communicated upon completion of the planning process.
He said the facility has to be fully equipped before the much-awaited President’s opening.
The construction of the Sh60 million gemology centre started in 2015 and ended in 2017, but there has been little progress in the processing of gemstones since then.
It is the only facility in Kenya where value addition of minerals is to take place before miners sell their products.
“This committee will follow up with the process of operationalising the centre. We want to make sure that the community reaps from the natural resources,” the Baringo South legislator said.
He was accompanied by other committee members including Joseph Emathe (Turkana Central), Titus Lotee (Kacheliba), Onesmus Ngogoyo and Kilifi Woman Rep Gertrude Mbeyu.
Emathe stressed on the need to empower small-scale miners across the country to tame the exploitation by middlemen.
He encouraged miners to embrace value addition of minerals to increase its value and earn more from the industry.
Once opened, he said, the centre will boost the mining industry in the country and create jobs for hundreds of unemployed people.
He said the country is losing revenue due to smuggling of uncut gemstones by middlemen who mostly export the minerals to Middle East countries without paying taxes.
