Politics
A Kenyan mining milestone
Residents must benefit
Governor of Kwale Salim Mvurya says residents of the Coast Province county have to benefit from the mineral wealth and will need to be included in any discussions on proceeds of mineral exports. This is ominous. Last year, Ireland’s Tullow Oil had to stop its operations in northern Kenya as residents stormed its drilling sites demanding jobs and supply contracts.
Monica Gichuhi, chief executive of the Kenya Chamber of Mines, says Base is an important test case for Kenya: “Base is a significant player and globally investors have been watching the Kwale mining project to see how it goes. It is an indication to other mining companies that the country is ready.”
For Base Titanium, it should all be worth the effort. Mining consultants at Kipya say the mine at Kwale will break even in three to four years and has a production period of about 12 years. For the first seven years, the company expects to export 330,000 tons of ilmenite, 79,000 tons of higher grade rutile and another 30,000 tons of zircon.
Source: The Africa Report
