Stakeholders in Taita Taveta County’s gemstone industry have called for significant structural reforms in mining operations to unlock the sector’s potential.
Speaking during a consultative meeting organized by the Ministry of Mining at the Voi Gemstone Centre, miners, dealers, and industry leaders raised concerns about licensing delays, inefficiencies at the gemstone center, and limited access to resources and markets that hinders development amongst them.
The Principal Secretary (PS) for the State Department of Mining, Blue Economy and Maritime Affairs, Elijah Mwangi, highlighted the government’s commitment to addressing these challenges. He emphasized that the Voi Gemstone Value Addition Centre, which was commissioned in 2024, holds transformative potential for the gemstone industry but remains underutilized due to operational inefficiencies and leadership gaps.
“The government has consistently worked towards the optimal exploitation of minerals to ensure that they benefit the local community,” said Mwangi, pledging to resolve the issues.
To address these gaps, Mwangi directed the facility manager to assess the center’s facilities, consult with public works officers in setting reasonable rent rates, and facilitate the election of inclusive leadership within 30 days to represent miners, dealers, and other stakeholders.
“Today, one of the messages that I am bringing is that within the next 30 days, we need to have leadership for this center. The leadership will not come from Nairobi neither will it come from our office. It is us who are in this business who shall give us the leadership,” the PS stated.
Additionally, Mwangi announced the deployment of mining engineers, geologists, and explosives inspectors in the county to support artisanal miners in adopting safer and more productive mining practices.
Key stakeholders, including Alice Muthama, a representative of the gemstone sector, expressed the need for the government to deploy skilled professionals to build miners’ capacity and streamline gemstone extraction.
“We need mining engineers, geologists, and gemologists to work closely with miners. This will help build capacity and ensure efficient and effective gemstone extraction,” Muthama stated.
She also proposed simplifying the licensing process and allowing traders a 120-day grace period to pay royalties after securing buyers for gemstones. She emphasized the importance of local value addition and branding to boost profitability.
“By promoting local value addition and branding, we can increase profitability and create a sustainable gemstone industry,” she added.
She further called for collaboration with thew ministry of tourism to promote gemstones as part of Kenya’s heritage and integrate them into the tourism experience.
Muthama urged the miners to be patriotic to their country and be honest by selling their gemstones to Kenyans who have licenses and shun from selling their stones to people who don’t have licenses which she said it normally leads to the country losing revenue and slows growth in the industry.
In response, Director of Mining Gregory Kituku reiterated the ministry’s commitment to ensuring that the gemstone industry benefits local communities. He emphasized the need for compliance with licensing regulations and value addition.
“Our long-term vision is to make Kenya a leader in gemstone production through capacity building, market access, and industry-wide partnerships,” Kituku said adding that, “As a government, we have the responsibility to protect you. We have the responsibility to protect those who are carrying out this form of mining and by extension, the people of Kenya.”
Kituku noted that stricter controls on Tsavorite have increased royalty collections and urged stakeholders to focus on marketing the gemstone as a unique Kenyan brand.
“To position Kenya as a global gemstone hub, we must strengthen local capacities and market Tsavorite as a unique Kenyan brand,” he said.
He disclosed that the ministry has established Mining Police Unit and investigative arms under the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) with the aim to curb illegal activities in the sector.
“Compliance with the law and proper regulations will create a sustainable and economically beneficial mining industry,” he added.
Deputy Governor Christine Kilalo praised the ministry’s efforts but called for regular consultations to address persistent challenges.
“Frequent engagements like this are crucial in understanding the challenges faced by miners and other stakeholders. Together, we can find solutions that drive the county’s development,” said Kilalo.
She also called for inclusivity in the gemstone center’s leadership and urged the ministry to support miners and dealers in complying with regulations to streamline operations.
Voi MP Abdi Chome emphasized the need for all residents to benefit from the county’s mineral wealth, even those not directly involved in mining.
“I want to link mining with royalties. Even those who are not miners but live in Voi should benefit from the minerals found in the county. Therefore, that is why we support the ministry because the sector has to be streamlined for all of us to benefit,” Chome explained.
The MP stressed on the need for clarity on strategic minerals urging the ministry to educate stakeholders on their significance and benefits for them to be able to relate with the government’s decisions.
He also echoed the Deputy Governor’s point on the center’s leadership stating that it should be drawn from within the county to foster trust and inclusivity.
Chome supported the ministry’s efforts to streamline licensing and addressing delays that have hindered mining activities and development in the county.
“The mining sector has the potential to transform lives and we must work together to ensure that everyone benefits,” he added.
Stakeholders urged the government to simplify licencing processes for artisanal miners and address the shortage of gem cutters to enhance local value addition.
The Ministry committed to continued collaboration with stakeholders to implement solutions and drive growth in the sector.
