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The curtain has fallen on the historic Tsavorite Summit held at the Voi Gemstone Centre, with resounding calls for stakeholders to work closely with the government to bolster productivity in the mining sector. The summit brought together officials from the State Department for Mining and key stakeholders, including the Kenya Chamber of Mines, the Association of Women in Energy and Extractives in Kenya (AMWEIK), the Mining Engineers Society of Kenya, the Association of Artisanal and Small-Scale Miners of Kenya (ASMAK), several artisanal mining cooperatives from Taita Taveta County Government, dealers, and exhibitors.
The highly interactive engagement delved into critical issues, including regulations and laws governing the sector, the role of artisanal mining cooperatives in promoting transparency in mineral data generation, the mandate of the National Mining Corporation in regulating the mining of strategic minerals, and the duties of Artisanal Mining Committees (AMC) in supporting the growth of the artisanal mining sector.
Stakeholders called for increased government involvement in mining and mineral processing to enhance the sector’s efficiency and accelerate efforts to have the sector contribute 10 percent of the national GDP. Artisanal and small-scale miners also advocated for more engagement with the government to discuss energizing the sector through incentives that encourage additional mining investments.
Miners urged all stakeholders to embrace data-driven processes that generate actionable information, including production quantities and quality, locations, and mineral values. This approach would enable targeted interventions to improve the sector.
The summit, the first of its kind at the Voi Gemstone, Value Addition and Marketing Center, was deemed a success, with participants exploring the possibility of hosting the event quarterly to establish a regular gem market for local and international stakeholders at the facility.
In conclusion, the Tsavorite Summit highlighted the importance of collaborative efforts between the government and industry stakeholders in driving the growth and sustainability of Kenya’s mining sector. The commitment to regular engagement and data-driven strategies is expected to pave the way for a more efficient and prosperous mining industry in the country.
