A gold mine in Turkana County. FILE PHOTO | NMG
By Bonface Otieno
Nation Media Group
Business Reporter
A Nairobi-based company is seeking government approval to mine gold in a 322-square kilometre area within Turkana County.
According to a Kenya Gazette notice published last week, Turkana Gold Mining is seeking to mine in about 1,500 cadastral blocks in the county.
The mining ministry will be receiving public views for 21 days on the licence application.
It can be made in writing and addressed to the Cabinet Secretary, said Petroleum and Mining CS John Munyes in the notice.
Gold was once Kenya’s highest-earning mineral but was dislodged by soda ash and later titanium.
Gold lost its lustre as Kenya’s top mineral export with a sharp fall in sales from a peak of Sh13.9 billion in 2012 to a low of Sh625 million in 2016.
Sales of titanium stood at Sh13.2 billion in 2016.
