- The state-of-the heart center is set to benefit the more than 10,000 people involved in mining activities in the mineral-rich county
- It will eliminate exploitative dealers who have been buying minerals at throwaway prices
Image: SOLOMON MUINGI
Reprieve for Taita Taveta miners as the government is set to operationalise the Voi Gemstone Value Addition Center.
President William Ruto returns to the county today to officially open the fully equipped multimillion center.
The much-awaited operationalisation will enable the centre to start processing raw gemstones thus boosting the mining industry in the region.
The facility was earmarked for commissioning by President Ruto in February this year but was postponed to a later date.
Construction of the Sh60 million gem centre started in 2015 and ended in 2017.
It is the only facility in Kenya, where value addition of minerals will take place before miners sell their products.
This is expected to earn the country the much-needed revenue.
The state-of-the -art center will benefit more than 10,000 people involved in mining activities in the county.
Taita Taveta Governor Andrew Mwadime said the commissioning will breakthrough in his quest to transform the mining industry in the county.
"Operationalisation of the fully equipped gemstone processing center is a major boost to the mining industry in the region, particularly for small-scale and artisanal miners who have for long suffered in the hands of brokers," he said.
Mwadime said the center will eliminate exploitative dealers and unscrupulous brokers who have been buying the world's most valued stones at throwaway prices.
Once operationalised, the facility will provide a wide range of services including stone cutting and polishing, banking, a gemstone laboratory, a buying center, among others.
Further, it will ensure that minerals are processed, packed and labeled with all taxes paid before export, to curb smuggling of uncut gemstones by middle men.
Thousands of artisanal miners in the region will also get good returns once they start selling their gemstones through the center," the governor said.
He said many middle-men are exporting uncut minerals to the Middle East countries without paying taxes, leading to revenue loss.
A report by the National Development Implementation and Technical Committee says state targets to generate Sh3 billion annually as revenue from value-addition of gemstones set for export from the country.
Taita Taveta is endowed with precious minerals thus making it the ideal location for the value addition facility.
Some of the gemstones in the region include tsavorite, ruby, chrome tourmaline, yellow tourmaline, red garnets, green garnets and Tanzanite.
Others are manganese, iron ore, marble and limestone.
Opening of the gem center is expected to set the stage for the government's plan to improve the industry not only in Taita Taveta but also in the neighboring counties of Makueni, Kitui, Kilifi and Kwale.
This is the second time the head of state will visit the county since taking power in August last year.
His visit comes at a time when local leaders are pushing for a 50-50 revenue share of the Tsavo National Park.
Ruto is banking on the government's projects in the county to solidify his support base in the region, which is considered a strong base for opposition leader Raila Odinga.
Some of the key government projects include the Voi gem center, construction of the Bura-Wundanyi-Mtomwagodi road and the multibillion Mzima II water project.