The Kenyan parliament has proposed revamping the country’s Mining Act of 2016 in a bid to accelerate the growth of the industry while enhancing government control and oversight of critical minerals.
The proposed reforms – tabled by parliament in October – include the establishment of a Mining Regulatory Authority which will oversee the entire critical minerals value chain including the exploration, extraction, production, processing, refining, transportation, storage, importation and sale of critical minerals.
Until now, government served in an advisory capacity across the mineral industry. The recent amendments will see government take on a more proactive role and aim to improve efficiency by separating policy formation from administration.
The development comes at a time when the growth in global demand for critical minerals is rapidly increasing due to efforts to transition to clean energy technologies.
