Malombe courts mining firms, asks them to set up factories in county

Kitui Governor Julius Malombe at a past function. The county wants mining firms — licensed to exploit mineral resources in the area — to set up factories within the region to guarantee maximum benefits for the residents once actual extraction starts. FILE PHOTO | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • The county leadership argues that, once established, the mineral processing plants will create jobs for the locals besides paving way for a wide range of physical and social infrastructure.
  • Speaking during a consultative forum on the status of the local mining sector held in Kitui town last week, Dr Malombe said his government was committed to ensuring that wealth generated from expected exploitation of minerals goes directly into improving lives of the locals.

The County Government of Kitui wants mining firms licensed to exploit mineral resources in the area to set up factories within the region to guarantee maximum benefits for the residents once actual extraction starts.

The county leadership argues that, once established, the mineral processing plants will create jobs for the locals besides paving way for a wide range of physical and social infrastructure.

“Once Kitui gets industrialized, the locals will enjoy improved road network, more educational and healthcare facilities as well as enhanced water and electricity supply thereby transforming their livelihoods,” Governor Julius Malombe said.

Speaking during a consultative forum on the status of the local mining sector held in Kitui town last week, Dr Malombe said his government was committed to ensuring that wealth generated from expected exploitation of minerals goes directly into improving lives of the locals.

The meeting brought together stakeholders including county officers, ward representatives, legal practitioners, civil societies and community elders among others.

He, however, said the county leadership would not sit and watch the mineral wealth which the arid region boasts go into the pockets of “outsiders” while the residents continued to grapple with poverty.

“We are ready to fight for our people so as to cushion them from possible exploitation by firms that have been granted concession to exploit the natural resources,” emphasised Dr Malombe.

“If properly harnessed, the huge mineral deposits found in Kitui could be a major source of wealth for both our county and the country,” he added.

According to the county boss, Kitui has been prospected and confirmed to have coal, iron ore, limestone and graphite deposits among other natural resources.

However, the two main minerals include coal which is found in the four blocks (A, B, C and D) of Mui Basin and limestone deposits located within Ngaaie (Mwingi North) and Kanziko (Kitui South).

Dr Malombe said the extracted coal will be used to fire power-generating plants thereby increasing the country’s energy sources as well as providing cheap and economically viable electricity for Kenyans.

He said the national government was considering putting up coal-fired power plants within the Mui Basin and another one in Lamu, each with the capacity to generate about 1000 megawatts of electricity.

Echoing the governor’s sentiments, County Chief Officer for Energy and Minerals Investment Development Musya Mwinzi said the county will ensure that locals reap big from the anticipated mining activities.

He said the Malombe led administration was working in conjunction with liaison committees and community elders to mobilise and sensitise locals inhabiting the mineral rich zones on mining potentials, status and challenges involved in mining.

Mr Musee Mulongo, Chairman of County Assembly’s Committee on Environment, Energy and Mining, said the assembly would discuss the possibility of developing operational county mining regulations and guidelines to govern exploitation of minerals in the county.

He also said there was need to establish and verify the various prospection activities carried out in the mineral rich areas, and if necessary halt the exploration for a while to evaluate results of previous exercises.