Deputy President Kithure Kindiki speaks after inspecting works at the Kenya Gold Refinery in Isughu, Ikolomani, Kakamega County/DPCS
Deputy President Kithure Kindiki now says that the new Kenya
Gold Refinery whose construction is underway will transform the economy of
Kakamega and the Western Kenya region.
Speaking after inspecting the project being undertaken at
the cost of Sh5.8 billion in Isughu, Ikolomani,
Kakamega County, Kindiki said that the project is 65 per cent complete.
He noted that its completion is set to be fully operational
by May 2026.
“The national government is working through the National
Mining Cooperation and the National Treasury to put together the legal
framework for establishing the gold refinery in Kenya. It will not be done by
the private sector alone because it is a sensitive value chain that requires
government intervention,”
“This factory will boost the economy of Kakamega and Western
Kenya and also the entire region, including Nyanza and all areas with gold,”
Kindiki said.
The refinery is the first of its kind in the country.
The DP noted that previously, gold mining in the country has
cost the lives of many innocent people as a result of smuggling.
He said that because of smuggling communities and the country
did not get any benefits from the mining, and the factory will solve this.
“In the past, gold smugglers have endangered the lives of
workers in digging caves, which have collapsed and killed many people. Sadly,
they didn’t pay royalties to the community, national, and county governments.
We got no returns at all
“The returns that the local community, the county, and
national county used to get from these precious natural resources that gold
gave us was little. This factory will solve that problem because it will offtake
gold from artisanal miners and then process and refine. This will fetch more
returns.”
Kindiki urged artisanal miners to register with cooperatives
so that the government can be able to easily access and support them.
“The government can regulate that sector, support them,
ensure that they are safe and are working in a conducive environment, and
receive good returns.”