By Eddah Waithaka
The recently established police unit within the Ministry of Mining, Blue Economy, and Maritime Affairs has commenced its activities following support from the government.
The newly formed police unit under the Ministry of Mining, Blue Economy, and Maritime Affairs has been tasked with safeguarding the nation’s mineral resources and combatting unauthorized mining and smuggling operations, in line with the recent mining policy changes.
Mining CS Salim Mvurya officially launched the new police unit under the Ministry on 15th of March, 2024, to protect the country’s mineral resources and crack down on illegal mining and smuggling activities.
The unit has been provided with the necessary tools, including vehicles, to enable it to carry out its duties effectively from the outset.
“Because the cabinet approved the creation of the new police unit for the mining ministry, the officers have reported, and they will move to the ground to help us curb illegal mining and smuggling,” said Mvurya.
The CS said the country has lost a lot of revenue to illegal mining and smuggling, forcing it to take tough measures, especially after lifting the ban on mining, to stem the loss of revenue.
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CS Mvurya said that the country has the potential to be one of the top mineral producing countries in the world, but that its potential has never been fully exploited.
While flagging off new vehicles that will facilitate operations in the ministry and the newly created police wing, he revealed that President William Ruto has directed the ministry to ensure that it has reliable mining data.
Other senior officials from the ministry accompanied the CS as he launched the vehicles at the Madini House in the Industrial Area of Nairobi.
“We are currently doing ground truthing to ensure that we have a report on mineral status in the country as directed by the president,” said Mvurya.
In addition, according to the Cabinet Secretary, the report on the distribution and availability of minerals in the country should be ready by June this year.
He also emphasized that the distribution of vehicles to county offices nationwide will greatly reduce the significant logistical challenges that have been faced.
“We have launched the first fleet of 18 vehicles for officers countrywide for the State Department of Mining to help them carry out their duties smoothly without hindrance so that we can realise our goals,” added Mvurya.
Next week, the ministry will also launch a comprehensive training programme specifically designed to meet the needs of artisanal miners scattered across the country.
“We want to work with every stakeholder in this sector so that we generate income for our sector. We will work with county security teams to fight illegal mining,” said Mvurya.
