Despite the government’s push for artisanal miners to acquire mining licenses through their cooperative society, miners in Migori County say the process has not been easy. Speaking during a meeting with Migori Governor Ochilo Ayacko, Migori County Artisanal Miners SACCO Chairperson Kephas Ojuka stated, “We have all our documents ready, but we cannot apply for the mining licenses.” He explained that the Mining Cadaster portal, where applications are submitted, is inactive due to issues that only the government can resolve.
Without these licenses, miners are unable to benefit from the minerals. Governor Ayacko acknowledged the challenges in accessing the licenses, assuring, “My office will work closely with the national government so that the miners can get licenses.” He also urged miners to form cooperatives to simplify the licensing process, which requires national government approval with the support of the county government.
The miners also called on the government to engage them properly before allowing any foreign miner to work in the county. Elly Duro, chairperson of the Migori County Artisanal Miners Committee, emphasized, “We want to ensure that artisanal miners benefit more from the mining sites than foreign miners.”
