This follows the unanimous decision by the Mbololo community in Voi Constituency to set aside a portion of Mbulia community land for the multibillion-shilling iron smelting plant.

Speaking during the handover ceremony, Raval announced that construction of the over Sh10 billion facility would begin this month, with an expected completion time of eight months.

Raval emphasised his commitment to local involvement, stating, ‘The construction of the project will start this month. While construction will be going on, we will employ over 2,000 Taita Taveta residents, but once the construction is over, our plan is different; we don’t want one person to mine and others to watch. I don’t want to do mining myself. I want you guys to mine together with other miners. We will try to support each and every individual miner who is an artisanal miner with a mechanism to mine more and become tertiary.’

Addressing broader socio-economic issues, Raval highlighted the problem of unemployment among Gen-Zs, emphasising the impor
tance of job creation to curb the situation.

‘The country is currently going through problems with Gen-Zs. It’s not their problem, but it is a problem of unemployment. People don’t have time to go on the streets if they have work,’ he said.

With over 14,000 Gen-Zs currently employed in his companies, Raval envisions that, with a good working environment and support from the government, projects will expand to different parts of the country, creating over 200,000 job opportunities for Kenyan youth.

Raval reiterated his dedication to job creation and community support: ‘I am not a politician. I will do the job that God has sent me to do, which is to create jobs for the country. Our company has been here for 45 years, and we are here to stay. All the children here are my children. If a child somewhere sleeps on an empty stomach, that’s not their problem; maybe it’s my problem. I want the youths to work in our industries and earn a living.’

The Mbulia land, which has been officially issued to the investor, is
close to the iron ore-rich Kishushe area. The region holds great potential in mining and mineral processing due to the large deposits of iron ore.

The Principal Secretary, State Department for Mining, in the Ministry of Mining, Blue Economy, and Maritime Affairs, Elijah Mwangi, revealed that the government had mapped Taita Taveta as one of the key counties for iron ore value addition and processing.

The PS, who had earlier engaged the local leaders and citizens, said that the establishment of the plant would unleash the full potential of natural resources and bolster the region’s economy.

‘Minerals’ value addition comes with a lot of opportunities, ranging from the creation of employment opportunities that come with the processing, refining, and manufacturing of minerals, transfer of skills, knowledge, and technology, as well as revenue generation,’ the PS said.

He said that the national government is committed to supporting the investors and other miners in the region and the country at large, a move aim
ed at creating more jobs for the Kenyan youth.

He noted that for the miners who would be licensed, they would be required to ensure that they followed the community development agreement to the letter.

Mwangi emphasised the importance of adhering to mining laws and ensuring community benefits.

‘For those who will be issued mining licenses, we will ensure the Community Development Agreement Committee (CDAC) is in place so that the community receives the funds they are entitled to for development,’ he said.

He also mentioned that following the directive by President Willium Ruto to the ministry to come up with a law that will allow mining in the parks, the ministry has come up with a framework that would allow mining activities to take place in the parks.

‘Within the coming month, the team will come and do the public participation so that all the people in Taita Taveta that are interested in mining in the park can get an opportunity to contribute their views on what is needed for them to mine in the park,’
he said, adding that this would facilitate sustainable mining while conserving the ecosystem in the parks.

On his part, Taita Taveta County Governor Andrew Mwadime called upon residents to reject early and divisive politics and instead focus on supporting government projects and investments within the county.

He praised the community for their decision to provide land to the investor, interpreting this move as a clear sign of the residents’ readiness to embrace development.

Governor Mwadime emphasised the potential benefits of such investments, noting that the county’s economy could be significantly improved through the proper utilisation of its abundant mineral resources.

Mwadime further urged the Principal Secretary and the national Mining Department to prioritise local communities when allocating mining sites within the park before extending these opportunities to others.

He expressed the county government’s interest in establishing its own mining sites to participate actively in the mining sector.

‘
The county government also wants to have its own mining sites so that it can also have an opportunity to do mining,’ said the governor.

He also called on local leaders, including MPs and MCAs, to collaborate in creating laws that protect investors, recognising that such investments would generate employment opportunities for many young people in the county.

Source : Kenya News Agency