Laikipia's Hidden Treasure With A Potential To Transform Kenya
Updated on: Dec 14, 2020
Laikipia's soils are hiding substantial mineral wealth that is enough to transform Kenya into an industrialized country if exploited.
A recent field survey commissioned by the County Government of Laikipia found substantial deposits exploitable minerals. Minerals of interest that were found include iron ore (haematite and laterites), bentonite, kaolin, bauxite, sepiolite, mica, vermiculite, marble and garnets.
Rocks such as quartz quartzites, granites, basalts, and phonolites that are used in the construction and building industry are in plenty.
Mining of minerals, oil and gas has always been prominent in the industrialization process in the world. Industrialization is one of the economic pillars in the Vision 2030.
The survey found iron ore in huge deposits across the county. Iron ores are mainly used for the production of iron and steel. Although iron itself may be employed in the form of castings, wire, rod, sheet, among others, for engineering and building trades there are many purposes for which steel is more suitable. This is mainly by alloying iron with varying amounts of other metals or non-metallic elements and subjecting it to various forms of heat treatment.
Iron ore of igneous origin was found at Naibor/Mugwooni area where a sample taken from one location had 75 percent iron. The iron ore outcrop could be traced for a width of 100 metres while the north-south strike direction was traced a similar distance, says the report of the survey released early this year.
Naibor/Mugwooni
Minerals of Laikipia 2020 Report says the density for bulk iron ore is 2, 88-0 kilogramme per cubic metre (2.88 tonnes/m3). Assuming a quarter of the outcropping anomaly at Naibor has 50 percent iron to a depth of 100 metres then the anomaly can yield 1.5 million tonnes of iron ore and three million tonnes at a depth of 100 metres.
But the quantity and quality are subject to confirmation by geophysical survey and coring, adds the report.
Although economic activities around mining and quarrying in Laikipia have grown from Kshs 81million in 2013 to Kshs 136 million in 2019 at current prices, mineral experts believe there is a huge opportunity to grow this further by exploiting the iron ore and other recently discovered deposits.
This report is a first step to our future mining operations, Governor Ndiritu Muriithi said at the launch of the report, adding: Our people have always known there are some valuable materials under the foot.
According to him the county is endowed with large patches of earth where, since time immemorial, blacksmiths would get materials needed to craft their weaponry and tools.
Sagak Tech Enterprises
This information has been known for a century at the very least. Now it is time to share it with a much wider audience using the modern science and methods, Governor Muriithi said.
Laikipia is strategically placed in Kenya with the opening of markets further north by the Lapsset corridor. The revival of the Nairobi-Nanyuki railway line has made it a more strategic launching point for operations in the Northern Kenya, Southern Ethiopia and Sudan. Coupled with the mineral resources that have been found, the county is positioned as one of the best processing hubs.
At the launch of the report early this year, Governor Muriithi said his government would be as facilitative as possible for those interested in setting up mining operations and processing here in Laikipia, with the understanding that it is these operations that create jobs.
In many place around the world, finding precious mineral sometimes leads to conflict and strife based on access or lack of thereof. The Governor committed that his government will ensure that the governance demands of all operations will be at the highest level.
The mineral wealth cannot be for only a few. We must ensure that the operations conducted in Laikipia are of the highest ethical standards lest we fall in what a famous Chinese Philosopher Confucius describes in a well governed society, poverty is something to be ashamed of. In a society badly governed, wealth is something to be ashamed of.
He emphasized that environmental safeguards in the mining operations will need to be there.
We will not put our people in harms way in pursuit of profit, he added.
Under its Innovation development programme, the County Government of Laikipia is building a big portfolio of local SMEs some of which are expected to grow to become consumers of minerals like the iron ore.
So far it is working with more than 450 of such SMEs among them Sagak Tech Enterprise which is making four-wheeler tuk tuk, which in the near future may need iron for to make parts.
Beyond big mining operations the government hopes that the report will trigger small scale mining operations that could offer hundreds of jobs to local people.
A recent field survey commissioned by the County Government of Laikipia found substantial deposits exploitable minerals. Minerals of interest that were found include iron ore (haematite and laterites), bentonite, kaolin, bauxite, sepiolite, mica, vermiculite, marble and garnets.
Rocks such as quartz quartzites, granites, basalts, and phonolites that are used in the construction and building industry are in plenty.
Mining of minerals, oil and gas has always been prominent in the industrialization process in the world. Industrialization is one of the economic pillars in the Vision 2030.
The survey found iron ore in huge deposits across the county. Iron ores are mainly used for the production of iron and steel. Although iron itself may be employed in the form of castings, wire, rod, sheet, among others, for engineering and building trades there are many purposes for which steel is more suitable. This is mainly by alloying iron with varying amounts of other metals or non-metallic elements and subjecting it to various forms of heat treatment.
Iron ore of igneous origin was found at Naibor/Mugwooni area where a sample taken from one location had 75 percent iron. The iron ore outcrop could be traced for a width of 100 metres while the north-south strike direction was traced a similar distance, says the report of the survey released early this year.
Naibor/Mugwooni
Minerals of Laikipia 2020 Report says the density for bulk iron ore is 2, 88-0 kilogramme per cubic metre (2.88 tonnes/m3). Assuming a quarter of the outcropping anomaly at Naibor has 50 percent iron to a depth of 100 metres then the anomaly can yield 1.5 million tonnes of iron ore and three million tonnes at a depth of 100 metres.
But the quantity and quality are subject to confirmation by geophysical survey and coring, adds the report.
Although economic activities around mining and quarrying in Laikipia have grown from Kshs 81million in 2013 to Kshs 136 million in 2019 at current prices, mineral experts believe there is a huge opportunity to grow this further by exploiting the iron ore and other recently discovered deposits.
This report is a first step to our future mining operations, Governor Ndiritu Muriithi said at the launch of the report, adding: Our people have always known there are some valuable materials under the foot.
According to him the county is endowed with large patches of earth where, since time immemorial, blacksmiths would get materials needed to craft their weaponry and tools.
Sagak Tech Enterprises
This information has been known for a century at the very least. Now it is time to share it with a much wider audience using the modern science and methods, Governor Muriithi said.
Laikipia is strategically placed in Kenya with the opening of markets further north by the Lapsset corridor. The revival of the Nairobi-Nanyuki railway line has made it a more strategic launching point for operations in the Northern Kenya, Southern Ethiopia and Sudan. Coupled with the mineral resources that have been found, the county is positioned as one of the best processing hubs.
At the launch of the report early this year, Governor Muriithi said his government would be as facilitative as possible for those interested in setting up mining operations and processing here in Laikipia, with the understanding that it is these operations that create jobs.
In many place around the world, finding precious mineral sometimes leads to conflict and strife based on access or lack of thereof. The Governor committed that his government will ensure that the governance demands of all operations will be at the highest level.
The mineral wealth cannot be for only a few. We must ensure that the operations conducted in Laikipia are of the highest ethical standards lest we fall in what a famous Chinese Philosopher Confucius describes in a well governed society, poverty is something to be ashamed of. In a society badly governed, wealth is something to be ashamed of.
He emphasized that environmental safeguards in the mining operations will need to be there.
We will not put our people in harms way in pursuit of profit, he added.
Under its Innovation development programme, the County Government of Laikipia is building a big portfolio of local SMEs some of which are expected to grow to become consumers of minerals like the iron ore.
So far it is working with more than 450 of such SMEs among them Sagak Tech Enterprise which is making four-wheeler tuk tuk, which in the near future may need iron for to make parts.
Beyond big mining operations the government hopes that the report will trigger small scale mining operations that could offer hundreds of jobs to local people.
