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Turkana treasure hunt: Government team launches 21-day mapping project

Government geologists in a group photo when they arrived in Turkana.

By Issa Hussein | Thursday, February 1, 2024

A team of geologists from the State Department for Mining has commenced a 21-day exploration and geological mapping project in Turkana County.

A team of geologists from the State Department for Mining has commenced a 21-day exploration and geological mapping project in Turkana County. Led by Martin Nyakinye, the head of the Geodata Center, the team will focus on identifying gold and other precious stones of economic value. Nyakinye mentioned that previous artisanal miners had identified sites and were already exploiting minerals in Naduat, Makutano, and Lolupe areas.

The primary objective of the exercise is to provide detailed geological mapping and share the report with the county government. Nyakinye acknowledged the presence of Coitan mineral, an essential component used in the manufacture of electronics such as cell phones and laptops, in parts of Turkana South, Turkana Central, and Turkana East sub-counties.

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Stanley Loter, the County Director for Mining, who received the team, emphasized that the county had invested in capacity building and equipping artisanal miners to improve their livelihoods. He urged the geologists to work closely with the local community and called for capacity building for existing local mining groups, assisting them in market linkages.

In 2014, Kenya signed a controversial mining pact giving China's Geological Exploration Technology Institute (GETI) exclusive rights to conduct a geophysical survey. This was funded by a controversial Sh7 billion loan from the Exim Bank of China, raising concerns about control over the country's resources. However, the government later froze the mapping contract and opted for the survey to be conducted by local geologists and the National Intelligence Services.

International firms warned that the survey design by GETI was not appropriate for Kenya. Following the freeze, the Chinese firm withdrew funding and billed the government an amount equivalent to 30 percent of the contract, quoted at Sh6.7 billion. In 2019, former President Uhuru Kenyatta banned the issuance of prospecting licenses to facilitate a nationwide fresh mapping of mineral resources.

Last year, the Principal Secretary for Mining, Elijah Mwangi, stated that Kenya is racing to finalize the digitization of data on owners of mineral rights, location, permit validity, and compliance with regulations, including fee payments. This effort is intended to lay the groundwork for President William Ruto to lift the ban on prospecting permits.