The mines of fluorspar in Kimwarer in Elgeyo Marakwet County are expected to resume operations soon as a result of a contract a UK mining company has made with the national government.
According to Salim Mvurya, the Cabinet Secretary for Mining, Blue Economy and Maritime Affairs, the mining of fluorspar will resume within the next six months after companies Soy Flouspar (K) Limited, Fujax UK, and Fujax East Africa entered a tripartite deal worth Ksh4.8 billion with the govt to start operations.
That money is expected to cater for the first phase of mining and pay the over 200 families who gave up their land hosting the nonmetallic mineral of moderate intrinsic value, the chief source of fluorine that is vibrant fluorescence when exposed to ultraviolet light.
CS Mvurya said his Ministry will ensure that the company strictly adheres to the Mining Act of 2016, where 70% of royalties will be paid to the National Treasury, 20% to the County Government and 10% to the local community.
Initially, the Kenya Fluorspar Company used to do the mining at Kimwarer. However, in 2009, it began shutting its doors due to dwindling global fluorspar prices before reopening in June 2010, ultimately halting the mining operations permanently after merely five years in 2015, leading to hundreds losing their jobs.
At the peak of mining operations, Kenya was producing 120,000 tonnes of fluorspar annually compared to South Africa’s 300,000 tonnes and Morocco’s 100,000 tonnes.
The Fujax Company UK has been given a lease of 25 years to operate the mines as the land still remains the government’s.
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