A planned mineral prospecting by Australia’s Base Titanium Limited in Tana River County has met opposition from a consortium of lobby groups over environmental issues.
A group of wildlife conservation organisations and practitioners, environmental and land defenders, and marine biodiversity experts have objected to the issuing of a prospecting license, saying the county was of global significance for biodiversity.
According to a petition by 29 organisations dated December 4, 2024, to the Mining Cabinet Secretary Hassan Joho, the groups said the project was a threat to biodiversity and ecosystem and an infringement on Protected Areas and Unique Classification.
“The millions of species on land, in freshwater, and in the ocean have evolved over millennia and form the web of life that sustains the planet. Species and their populations are the building of ecosystems, individually and collectively securing the condition for life,” they stated.
A Gazette Notice issued by Mr Joho on November 26, 2025, invited public comments on Base Titanium’s application for a permit to explore ilmenite, rutile, and zircon metals over 317.2529 square kilometres of land covering Tana River and Lamu counties.
“Pursuant to section 34 (3) of the Mining Act, the Cabinet Secretary for Mining, Blue Economy and Maritime Affairs notifies receipt of an application for a prospecting licence from Base Titanium Limited, which details are set out in the Schedule hereto” the notice stated
. “Any objection by any person or community against the grant of the prospecting Licence may be submitted to the Cabinet Secretary within twenty-one (21) days from the day” it added.
The Australian company is seeking to explore mining in Tana River and Lamu counties after depleting mineral resources at their Kwale site.
While opposing the plan, the organisations claimed the targeted area in Tana River is an Important Bird Area (IBA) with about 270 bird species recorded, including Woolly-necked Stork and black and White Flycatchers that is regionally threatened.
Other species include Eagle Owl, Tana River Cisticola, Madagascar Pratincole (Near Threatened), Curlew Sandpiper (vulnerable), White-Backed Vulture (Critically Endangered), Martial Eagle (Endangered), Southern Banded Snake Eagle (Near Threatened), Fisher Turaco, Mombasa Woodpecker, Basra Reed Warbler (Endangered) and Malindi Pipit (Near Threatened).
Furthermore, they stated that the Tana Delta is globally important for a large number of water birds, including breeding colonies of cormorants and herons, as well as critical non-breeding grounds for migrant waders from Europe and Asia.
"The proposed prospecting area falls in a marine biodiversity-sensitive area where the dunes form beaches upon which all five species of endangered Sea turtles come to nest. Any disruption of this area will have grave ramifications on what is an Important Marine Turtle Area,” they stated.
They added that the proposed mining prospecting area also hosts multiple historical sites and sites of cultural significance including but not limited to Ungwana Bay Ruins, Ras (ya Mwana, ya Shaka), Wanawali Saba, the old Sultan’s Palace ruins, Banda La Kasa, Tombs, Mosques, Mihrab all dating back to 1200 AD.
Environmentalists expressed concern that the mining activities would affect the forests and argued that linear infrastructure increases accessibility and leads to an increase in hunting, logging, artisan mining, charcoal, and fuel extraction, and small-scale agriculture and these all are direct threats to the wider ecosystem and climate resilience as a country.
“Kenya is in urgent need of updated Strategic Environmental Assessments (SEAs) to provide best practice governance of extractive activities to minimise impacts, including effects of multiple projects and other landscape threats,” they said.
They noted that the County had not adopted the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) standard. These are also requirements under the Africa Mining Vision.
