Coast Development Authority launches first public mineral auction in Taita Taveta

MOMBASA, KENYA: Hundreds of youth in Taita Taveta county are set to reap big from mining activities following the introduction of a public mineral auction.
The first ever auction is set for Saturday August 15 this year at the Mwatate Constituency Development Fund (CDF) multi-purpose hall in town.
The auction followed a partnership between Coast Development Authority (CDA) and Chawia Community-Based Organisation (CCBO) in mining green garnet in the Mwatate area. Bidding was launched online on August 10 this year ahead of the Mwatate event.
CDA managing director James Kahindi Mangi stated that more than 2,500 youth and women have benefited directly and indirectly through employment and income earning opportunities resulting in improved standards of living and poverty reduction.
CDA provided excavators and other improved equipment to the local community to enhance the mining activities in the area.
On Tuesday, Mangi said CDA forged partnership with the local artisanal miners commonly known as 'zurura' to improve their incomes because they lacked modern tools and markets adding that they were now getting good yields from the mines.
"We are now set for the inaugural garnet auction to address the marketing challenge for the local communities who usual take the gemstone to Arusha. Taita Taveta county has huge gemstone potential because it is part of the Mozambican belt stretching from Kitui to South Africa," Mangi explained.
He said CDA came in to provide production and link up the local community to the national and international markets.
Mangi said local residents led by the Mwatate MP Mr Lawrence Mwadime approached CDA for the partnership in the mining venture.
CDA plans to conduct the Mwatate auction in every quarter of the year and eventually include other minerals such as gold from Migori so as to ease marketing and improve prices for miners.