Arise Media 
BY RITA MUTHONI
Mining, Blue Economy, and Maritime Affairs Cabinet Secretary (CS) Salim Mvurya has advised residents of Embu County to exercise due diligence and avoid hasty land sales.
He said uninformed selling of lands could lead to undervaluation and potential financial loss.
“It is always good to check the right value of your land with relevant authorities before selling it at a throw-away price,” he said.
He addressed the press during the launch of the National Groundtruthing to establish mineral qualities and quantities in the Kiambeere ward of Embu County.
Mvurya cautioned the area residents of shrewd investors willing to buy their lands now that they (lands) are suspected of containing large amounts of coltans.
Coltan is a dull black metallic ore used in manufacturing electronic devices due to its unique electrical properties.
“This metal is used for the production of electronic goods of mass consumption, such as mobile phones, laptops, cameras, consoles amongst other devices,” he said.
The CS noted that Embu is among the six counties in Kenya listed to have large amounts of coltans and will be setting up laboratories for mineral testing.
On sharing royalties, the CS noted that the National Government will receive 70 percent, the County Government 20 percent, and the local communities will get 10 percent.
Lamenting that illegal mining was rampant in the country, the CS advised local miners to sign up for licenses to avoid closing their mining businesses.
The CS encouraged the miners to work with cooperatives, saying two cooperative societies had already been formed in Embu County.
CS Mvurya noted that the Ministry will employ 167 technical persons to assist in the mining, and the delegation of 368 new officers will be done in the following month.
Embu Governor Cecily Mbarire said her administration will work with the Ministry to streamline the mining sector, that has been left unattended in the county.
According to the Governor, gathering small-scale miners into cooperatives will enable streamlined and regulated trading to reduce middlemen who exploit the miners.
Mbarire noted that mining of the coltans could add revenue streams for the county, stabilizing the local economy.
Mbeere South MP Nebart Muriuki observed that the mining of coltans could benefit residents of Kiambere who did not know the value of the treasure they own.
Want to send us a story? Submit via
news@arisemediagroup.co.ke or call 0750456085
Book Advert-use above contacts
414
