Taita who gave up land for mining agonise as virus stalls extraction

The news of a mining company seeking to extract manganese at a village in Taita Taveta county was a godsend to residents.

The people at Mbabarenyi village, Mwatate subcounty, had long suffered poverty and the Australian company's arrival in 2018 promised a windfall.

However, the Universal Resources International Company was still preparing to initiate prospecting when the coronavirus pandemic struck.

Universal had earmarked a 1.8 sq km area for extraction of the precious mineral after it acquired a 25-year mining licence in February last year.

More than 36 families whose land was acquired to pave way for the extraction agreed with the investor that they would get at least 1 per cent of the total sales every month.

However, the company is yet to export minerals, two years after the deal. 

Machines they needed to import and engineers who were to set them up were holed up in the Netherlands, prompting a halt to operations. 

Resident Jacob Maghanga, who chairs the landowners' committee, said the company had brought a ray of hope to the area after close to 10 years of prospecting activities.

The community was delighted to welcome the project, hoping it would light up their lives.

“Even before we received the first batch of payment, the company closed down because it could no longer extract manganese. They have severely been hit by the lockdown and cessation of movement,” he told the Star.

The coronavirus pandemic has slammed the brakes on the mining industry, with locals who relied on extraction being on the receiving end.

DETAILS OF DEAL

Some families were to be relocated to prevent any destruction emanating from exploration activities.

Land owners had signed an agreement that the company would remit 1 per cent of its net earnings directly to each landowner's account.

"This is roughly estimated to range between Sh50,000 and Sh100,000 per landowner," Maghanga said.

Another 1 per cent was to be ploughed back to the community through corporate social responsibility.

The company estimates there are at least 40 billion tonnes of the manganese mineral underlying at Mbabarenyi and Mariwenyi in Rong'e ward.  

It is eyeing the market in India, Germany, China, USA among other steel-manufacturing countries.

Not far from Maghanga’s home, Caroline Samba, another resident, is distressed for she is unable to afford food and other essential items.

She was optimistic of reaping big from the highly anticipated manganese extraction from her 7-acre farm.

Samba said the delayed extraction has dragged them back to poverty as they had given up their land for mining.

“Everybody is crossing fingers that this pandemic can come to an end. The company should now be exporting minerals for us to benefit,” she said.

Besides other benefits, she said most unemployed youth had high hopes of benefiting once extraction begins.

“Our priority is education, water and health. We believe the investor shall adhere to the agreement and help us in these key sectors,” she said.

The company's director, Lloyd Mark Stephenson, said the quantity of manganese deposit found can be extracted for 50-100 years, while exporting over 100,000 tons of pure manganese every year.

With lockdown in many countries, the company boss said they have not been able to fix key machines in the processing area. The machines were to be imported from abroad.

“Engineers who were to set the machines are still locked in the Netherlands. This has delayed operationalisation,” Lloyd said.

The machines at the site can produce at least 100 tons per day, adding up to 3,000 tons per month.

STATE OF PROJECT

At the site, the investor has placed a weighbridge with CCTV cameras for purposes of transparency on the quantity of load produced.

Heaps of unprocessed manganese worth millions of shillings are still lying idle at the site. “We are only waiting for the engineers to fix the specialised equipment to kickstart processing,” Lloyd said.

He aims to recruit hundreds of skilled and unskilled labour from the community. The company has also hinted at plans to partner with the Taita Taveta University to offer mining field study for the department of mining and provide a platform for students to learn and carry out necessary exposure for their career.

When fully operational, the extraction will tremendously spur growth in Voi town, Lloyd said.

He said the company has acquired another licence to prospect minerals in a 350 sq km area, running from Mariwenyi in Mwatate subcounty to Kasighau in Voi subcounty.

“There is a likelihood of more mineral deposits in the marked area. The extraction and prospecting will run concurrently,” he said.

Past geological surveys have indicated massive deposits of more than 40 high-value minerals in Taita Taveta county. They include titanium, copper, iron ore, gold and limestone. Others are green garnets, red garnets, tourmaline, Tsavorite and rubi.

Iron ore and gemstone mining are the key economic sectors, which could generate much-needed revenue for the county and country if fully exploited.

Despite the pandemic, residents are still optimistic that they shall one day reap from the newly found gem.

Amid the coronavirus situation, the county suspended iron ore extraction on a 68.4 sq km land in Kishushe.

The suspension came barely two years after Samruddha Resources Kenya Limited resumed extraction of iron ore in the highly contested land. More than 350 youth who worked in the company were directed to stay at home and are now jobless.

TOUGH TIMES

The Kenya Chamber of Mines CEO Moses Njeru asked government not to penalise mining companies for underperformance during this period the industry is undergoing tough moments.

He said many companies may not be able to develop their mines as required by the law. 

In Mkuki, Mwatate subcounty, the impact of the coronavirus is evident as countless gemstone mines have been abandoned.

Last month, the county lifted a ban on small-scale mining activities. Miners were asked to work in 15-person shifts and observe other hygiene directives.

However, Mohammed Mzungu, an artisanal miner, said fear of contracting the virus had forced many miners to leave.

“Business has been ruined by the pandemic and we are suffering because everybody thinks we have money,” he said.

He appealed to the government to help them resume mining and access the market. He blamed lack of equipment and skills to excavate minerals for their failure to exploit the minerals.

Mzungu said the dusk-to-dawn curfew and lockdown hindered buyers from accessing the mines.

“On a normal day, buyers would be flocking this area with a lot of money to buy gemstones. Things have completely changed and buyers are no longer available,” he said.

The area is rich in gemstones such as green garnets, red garnets, tourmaline and Tsavorite.

Chawia Minerals CBO secretary Tom Mwashumbe said most operational costs could not be sustained and many workers were forced to stop mining.

“The price of gemstones like tomaline have gone down in overseas markets, and so mining of such minerals cannot be sustained. We have, therefore, stopped their extraction,” he said.

Generally, though, the Taita Taveta community is far from benefiting from the massive deposits of valuable minerals. Residents are wallowing in poverty, despite sitting on tonnes of minerals.

Mining companies that extract minerals in the region are accused of neglecting their corporate social responsibility. A few individuals who have taken advantage of the poor residents also work in their mines for selfish gains.

According to a study by the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights, mining has been slowed by violation of human rights, non-inclusiveness in decision-making and conflicting claims on land ownership.

Further, the report found that sexual abuse and harassment among women and children is rampant in the mining sites.

The commission proposes regular and enhanced monitoring on children's rights violation and administration of justice to protect children against sexual abuse and harassment.

It further recommends banning of all forms of child labour in the mines and closing social joints that entertain the abuse of children within their premises.

Edited by T Jalio