"Mining forum to deliberate on Kakamega’s gold plans"

The Kakamega government will host a two-day conference to discuss the state of mining in the county. On February 27 last year, British exploration company Acacia announced that it had found 1.31 million ounces of maiden high-grade gold in its Liranda corridor, Ikolomani. Yesterday, Governor Wycliffe Oparanya said Acacia will attend the October 8-9 meeting to brief them on what it plans to do. He said the county will partner with the firm and welcomed its investment. “We’re excited about the potential of Acacia’s West Kenya project. It could ultimately lead to the creation of a gold mining industry that would benefit our county, economy and people,” he said on the phone. Petroleum and Mining CS John Munyes last Thursday said Kakamega county has the highest mining potential in the country. He said the Mining Act will be operationalised soon so the sector can thrive and improve the economy...

The county chief...said Acacia did not involve the local artisanal miners who are recognised by the Mining Act. “We want the mining company to tell leaders and stakeholders how far they’ve gone with regard to their preparations and the benefits the community should expect once mining begins,” he said. “They can discover gold and begin to mine and export. We want the refineries to be constructed in Kakamega so the locals receive better returns from the resource.”