MPs call for law on minerals

Kilifi North MP Owen Baya and Ganze MP Teddy Mwambire want Kilifi County Assembly to ban export of raw resources from the county. [Courtesy]

Kilifi North MP Owen Baya and his Ganze counterpart Teddy Mwambire want a legislation enacted to ban "export" of unprocessed natural resources from the area.

The MPs said the ongoing extraction raw resources from the county for sale works against industrialisation and investment in the area.

The legislators’ call comes at a time when tonnes of products from quarries are being extracted at Jaribuni in Ganze Constituency for the ongoing construction of the LAPPSET project in Lamu County.

Speaking during a youth conference at Pwani University on Saturday, Mr Baya said most investors in the area "export" material for processing outside the county, thus denying local residents job opportunities.

Mwambire said the community will only benefit if the county comes up with a law to protect the resources.

“Investors never involve leaders when they want to do their projects and that is why they have not set up a single factory that will benefit the people of Kilifi,” said Mwambire.

The Lands, Energy, Housing and Physical Planning department had commissioned the Kilifi County Resource Mapping to compile an inventory of resources in the county.

According to Governor Amason Kingi, the development of the County Resource Mapping is necessary to ensure resources are exploited for the benefit of the local community.