Devki Steel Mills is among 24 companies whose mining rights have been revoked after they failed to apply for licence renewal.
The company’s iron ore mining rights on two parcels of land measuring a total of 25,427 acres in Kitui County expired six years.
Petroleum and Mining Cabinet Secretary John Munyes made the revocation through a Kenya Gazette notice last Friday.
“The following expired licences are declared revoked,” he said in the notice.
The list of affected firms includes Amka Ventures Limited that had rights to explore gypsum in Garissa and Tana River counties and whose permit expired in 2011.
Other gypsum miners affected are Adco Group of Company, Hilaa Mining and Construction Company Limited and Tula Mining Limited
Base mineral explorers such as Rolling Hills Limited, Nazareth Explorations Ltd, Kenya Discovery Ltd and Nazareth Explorations Ltd have also been affected.
According to the notice, their mining rights expired between March 2011 and January 2017.
The Mining Act, 2016 provides for exploration of minerals, their processing, refining, treatment and transportation.
It was enacted as part of reforms in the mining sector to boost its contribution to Kenya’s economic growth.
Parliament in 2017 passed operating regulations that require all mining companies licensed in the past one year to cede a stake of their business to the government for free.
The 10 percent stake rule did not apply to companies that were awarded mining licences earlier.
The law entitles the Cabinet Secretary responsible for mining to make regulations that provide for State participation in mining or prospecting operations with the holder of a mineral right.
PAYE Tax Calculator
Note: The results are not exact but very close to the actual.
