Taita taveta: The national government has moved to enforce long-standing legal requirements compelling mining companies to fulfil community obligations in Taita Taveta County. This follows years of operations that failed to deliver mandated benefits to local residents.
According to Kenya News Agency, during the Kishushe Ranching Cooperative Society Limited (SGM) special general meeting held in Kishushe, Mining Principal Secretary Harry Kimtai stated that the Ministry of Mining would no longer tolerate investors operating without complying with the law on community development agreements. He warned that companies benefiting from local resources without giving back would be compelled to pay what is owed. Kimtai noted that the Mining Act requires any mining company to establish a Community Development Agreement Committee within six months of commencing operations, tasked with overseeing the implementation of community benefits, including remitting one per cent of gross revenues to the host community.
Kimtai disclosed that Rockland Kenya Limited, a gemstone mining company operating in Taita Taveta for several years, had written to the ministry expressing its intention to form a Community Development Agreement Committee. While the ministry would allow the process to proceed, Kimtai said compliance would be backdated to cover the period the company has been in operation. Ministry officers will determine how much revenue the company has generated over the years, after which the statutory one per cent contribution will be calculated and remitted to the community.
The announcement comes amid growing concerns from communities across mineral-rich regions that mining activities have often proceeded without structured benefit-sharing, leaving residents to contend with environmental degradation, dust pollution, and strained infrastructure with little compensation. Kimtai said the ministry would mediate disputes between investors and communities, emphasising the government’s responsibility to ensure lawful, transparent, and mutually beneficial engagement in the mining sector.
The PS also pointed to infrastructure and social challenges linked to mining operations in Kishushe, acknowledging the poor state of roads leading to the mining area. He said the roads must be upgraded to prevent dust pollution once iron ore trucks begin operating, adding that access to clean and reliable water remains a priority for the community. Beyond enforcement, Kimtai emphasised the importance of public participation, noting that no agreement between investors and land-owning communities can be concluded without stakeholder involvement, as required by the Constitution.
The Kishushe SGM followed a series of meetings between the ranch leadership, led by Chairperson Matilda Waleghwa and Secretary Wilfred Mwalimo, and the Ministry of Mining, after the society raised concerns over illegal investors operating on ranch land without shareholder consent. During the meeting, shareholders granted Devki Group consent to proceed with iron ore mining within the ranch, clearing the way for activities previously stalled by governance and consent disputes.
Devki Group Chairman Narendra Raval said the company would comply fully with the law as it resumes operations. He lauded the Ministry of Mining and the new Kishushe Ranch leadership for resolving disputes that had threatened to derail mining activities. Raval said past political interference had previously hindered plans to establish a factory in Taita Taveta, forcing the industrial investment to relocate to Samburu. He urged leaders and residents to avoid politicising development projects, warning that such actions ultimately disadvantage host communities by discouraging investment and job creation.
The PS later formally handed Devki back to the ranch leadership to conclude remaining agreements, including those related to employment and factory establishment. The meeting was attended by Taita Taveta Governor Andrew Mwadime, Deputy Governor Christine Kilalo, Wundanyi MP Danson Mwashako, Voi MP Abdi Chome, Mwatate MP Peter Shake, area MCA Newton Kifuso, and other leaders.
