Kenya’s mining sector a smugglers’ paradise

Gold minor working at Osiri Matanda gold mine site in Nyatike Sub-County on January 29, 2021. (Photo by Caleb Kingwara, Standard)

Kenya could be losing billions of shillings in tax revenue and foreign exchange earnings as huge amounts of minerals produced locally are sneaked out to neighbouring countries for onward export.

The Petroleum and Mining ministry has partly blamed the widespread smuggling of precious stones for the decades-long decline in the industry.