Kenya: Mining Authorities Announce Gold Discovery
By Henry Neondo and Eric Sande
Conscientious research towards reaching a basin of gold deposits in Kenya has left many people leaving with the notion of “get rich or die trying”. Those endeavours are seemingly bearing fruits as the country is set to join the league of gold mining nations following the discovery of gold deposits in parts of Migori and Narok counties. Consequently, mining authorities in Kenya have for the first time announced that the country has commercial deposits of Gold.
Located in the western part of the country, authorities say, the Gold deposits could be mined for up to 15 years.
John Waita, Government geologist in charge of Nyanza, said: "We are confident of Gold availability in Rongo, Nyatike in Migori County as well as Lolgorian in Narok County bordering Tanzania. All we will need now is the support from the communities. We have done our exploration and have our facts right about the availability of the mineral.
An official from Aba mining company, involved in mining activities in Tanzania, Botswana, Namibia and Mozambique said: “We have always suspected that Kenya has Gold. If neighboring countries, Uganda and Tanzania have high potential of Gold and are mining what about Kenya? He asked.
He said they have all along known that there are some deposits but collected data is proving them right. The challenge for Kenya is that there have never been maps to hasten the discoveries, he said.
The acting Commissioner of Mines and Geology, Moses Masibo and Waita said the regions are part of a vast Gold belt known as the Archean Greenstone Belt, which is one of the earth’s oldest crust dating 3.7 million years.
Its geological features are similar to the Gold Reef in Johannesburg, South Africa, and others in Western Australia and Northern Canada that are known to have Gold and other minerals.
Waita confirmed that the Gold deposits can support large-scale mining for up to15 years. In his revelation he mentioned that companies prospecting for the mineral in the counties are in the preparation phase for extracting the Gold
Masibo confirmed that a British company that has over the past three years been prospecting for commercially viable Gold in Lolgorian area of Trans Mara recently discovered Gold deposits that could earn the country Sh400 million (US$5million) annually. He added that the discovered Gold is of high quality, because it will not require extensive processing.
The Gold deposits can support mining of 4,000 ounces per year. At the current market price of Gold in the international market where one ounce is trading at US $1246, the project could earn the country US$5million annually or (US$75million) in 15 years.